


Sisters of Westfall

by moriturus



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies), World of Warcraft
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - World of Warcraft Fusion, Discord: Elsanna Shenanigans (Disney), Elsanna Week (Disney), Elsanna Week 2021 (Disney), F/F, Incest, Sibling Incest, World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-18
Updated: 2021-01-29
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:20:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28834773
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moriturus/pseuds/moriturus
Summary: The rough and tumble land of Westfall is under attack by bandits once more. Kirin Tor apprentice Elsa Jansen and her sister, Knight-Cadet Anna Jansen must fight off bandits and save their mother's life. Elsanna Week 2021 multi-part fiction.
Relationships: Anna/Elsa (Disney)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 23
Collections: Elsanna Week 2021





	1. Reunion

## Sisters of Westfall, Part 1: Reunion

Sisters of Westfall

_The Jansen Stead, Westfall_

Bright blue and white light flashed as a circular portal ripped a hole through space and time, the shimmering image of the streets of the faraway floating city of Dalaran sparkling from within. Anna Jansen wrung her hands nervously, watching the magic from a safe distance away as the portal appeared in the middle of the cornfield, scaring away a couple of the crows and flattening a few stalks of corn.

With a final white flash of light, a figure emerged from the portal as it collapsed in on itself. In its place, in resplendent purple and white flowing robes trimmed with gold, holding a staff with an icy blue crystal atop, stood her older sister, Elsa. Anna’s breath caught in her throat as she stared at her sister’s ethereal beauty. Flawless alabaster skin, golden hair, and curves in all the right places under her mage armor made Anna blush, her cheeks heated.

Elsa opened her eyes, got her bearings, and broke out into a huge grin as she spotted her sister across the small cornfield. “Anna!” she shouted, jogging across the field, sunlight sparkling off her.

Anna ran forward to embrace her sister… and fell flat on her ass, her nose and chest covered in small ice crystals. “What the…?”

“Oh! Oh, I’m so sorry, Anna,” Elsa apologized, weaving her fingers into a complex shape, the sparkling light around her fading. “I always put up ice armor before going through a portal. Can never be too careful. Sorry,” she smiled sheepishly, offering her hand.

“Don’t worry about it,” Anna grinned, brushing straw off her tunic and pants with one hand. Elsa’s fingers felt cool and dry in her hand; she grimaced internally as she compared the soft, smooth skin of Elsa’s palm to the rough callouses of her own hands, hardened from her soldier’s training in the Westfall Brigade. “Mama! Elsa’s home!” she shouted over her shoulder.

From inside the small farmhouse emerged their mother, Iduna Jansen. Once one of the fairest maidens in Westfall, hard times during the Second and Third Wars, combined with the loss of her husband Agnar had taken their toll, though she was still a stunning woman. Her brown hair had streaks of grey through it, and face had more crow’s feet and wrinkles in the past few years, but they were of both laughter and tears in equal measure. Iduna wiped her hands on a towel slung over her shoulder as she walked out of the famrhouse. “Elsa! Welcome home!”

Elsa ran to the door and embraced her mother tightly, savoring the scents and sights of home. She’d been away almost four years, studying her magic in Dalaran with the greatest mages of Azeroth in the Order of the Kirin Tor, and though young, she showed great promise, particularly in the frost magics. “Mama! It’s so good to see you, you and Anna. How have you been?”

“It’s been good here. Quiet. Anna’s been training hard with the Westfall Brigade, and she’s almost ready to stand for her knighthood,” Iduna said proudly, pulling Anna into a hug and tousling her auburn hair.

“Mama, stop!” Anna grinned, dodging Iduna’s playful parenting.

“Otherwise, pretty much the same old thing. We had a dry year, so the corn isn’t as tall as I wanted it to be, but we’ll still have a good enough crop,” Iduna continued, straightening her dark blue dress. “At least we’re better off than the Saldeans. They had a pack of wild boars rampage through their fields and destroyed half their harvest. Thank goodness Anna was home from training, or they would have destroyed ours too.”

Anna smirked as she walked around to the side of the stone and thatched straw farmhouse, showing Elsa three large boar carcasses in the small clay smoking hut. “You’ll have to take some of the now-famous Jansen wild boar bacon back with you to Dalaran, Elsa.”

Elsa looked carefully at the boars. “Did… how did you bring down this many boars all at once, Anna? These are full-fledged goretusks!” She looked more closely and saw obvious gouges in the flesh where a sword had bitten into the monstrous creatures.

“They’re really strong, but also really, really dumb, Elsa,” she grinned. “When one of them charges you, you bash it in the face with your shield and yell really loud, and that not only disorients it, it confuses the others. I just started running them through afterwards, and before you know it, I had a year’s worth of bacon for us.”

Iduna patted Anna on the shoulder. “I was still terrified they’d gore you like they did to poor Verna Furlbrow. She’s still recuperating in Stormwind. Thank goodness the army has been training you so well.”

The women walked into the farmhouse, Elsa looking around to see what had changed since she’d last visited. Despite being a mage and being capable of opening portals, she was still junior enough in the ranks of the Kirin Tor that she had to ask permission first before traveling by magic. As a result, she’d only been home a couple of times in the past few years, mostly for holidays like Winter Veil.

She looked with nostalgia and sadness at the portrait hanging over the fireplace. Just before the Third War, Agnar had commissioned a painter from Goldshire to visit their home and create a family portrait. Everyone looked so young; Agnar with his blue Stormwind tabard draped over his army Knight-Captain’s dress uniform, Iduna in a beautiful purple robe fit for a queen, with Elsa and Anna as gangly kids posing awkwardly. Elsa had been 13 at the time, Anna 10, and they had no idea that would be the last time they’d see their father alive.

Anna sidled up to her sister, putting an arm around her waist. “I miss him too,” she said softly, resting her head on her sister’s shoulder.

“I can’t believe it’s been 10 years already,” Elsa murmured. She turned her head, listening as their mother started putting together a meal in the kitchen as she put an arm around her sister’s waist. “How have you been, Anna? Really, I mean. Your last letters sounded like you were pretty worn out.”

“Better now that you’re here,” Anna said, snuggling into Elsa’s neck. “I missed you so much. I didn’t think it’d be this hard, having you away for so long.” She turned and pressed her lips against Elsa’s, kneading them softly and giggling a little as she felt Elsa’s tongue gently poking into her mouth.

“I missed you too, baby sister,” Elsa smiled, gently bopping Anna on the nose as they finished kissing. “Once I’m no longer an apprentice and I’m a full adept, I can come home a lot more often. I won’t have to ask permission to leave Dalaran.”

“And you can take me places, right?” Anna needled mischievously. “You can open up a portal and we can go interesting places, try new restaurants. I hear there are some amazing barbecues in Ironforge! Oh, oh, you could take me to Brewfest! I’ve always wanted to go, but it’s such a long trip to Khaz Modan and we can’t afford the Deeprun Tram.”

Elsa shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Yes, I’m studying the depths of magic and the arcane arts so we can find new places to eat,” she grumbled good-naturedly. “That’s definitely what Malygos had in mind for us to be doing with the powers of the arcane when he brought magic into this world.”

“Hey, you stinker. It’s the least you can do to make up for being away from me for so long!” Anna gave her sister a playful shove, forcing her to sit on the small couch in the sitting room before squeezing in next to her.

“So… tell me about you, Anna. You’re looking… well,” Elsa said, a pink glow suffusing her cheeks as she took one of Anna’s hands. “You’re to stand for knighthood soon?”

Anna nodded vigorously. “Knight-Captain Danuvin says I’m just about ready. I’ve been training for what, close to 4 years now? Just a little less than you’ve been in Dalaran. I’ve passed the physical tests, so all that I have to do now is some of the paperwork and I’ll receive my commission.”

“Papa would be so proud of you,” Elsa murmured, looking at the painting over the fireplace again. “You’ve really followed in his footsteps. Pretty soon you’ll be a Knight-Captain yourself.” She gently rubbed her fingers over the callouses on Anna’s hands, noting a few small scars, presumably from her military drills.

“You think so? Would he still be proud if he knew about… us?” Anna asked quietly, holding Elsa’s hands firmly.

Elsa stared at the smiling family in the portrait at length. “I… I think so. He always wanted us to be happy and safe. And no one will keep me safer than my own knight in shining armor,” she smiled, pulling Anna into a tight hug.

“Girls! Supper’s ready,” Iduna called from the kitchen. The smell of goretusk liver pie and Westfall stew wafted through the farmhouse, causing Anna to drool a little. The family sat down at the heavy wooden table, digging into the meal Iduna had put together.

Elsa signed happily. “Nothing beats home-cooked food, Mama. The food is Dalaran is good, but yours is still the best,” she grinned as Iduna blushed.

“This is great, Mama,” exclaimed Anna as she tore through spoonful after spoonful of the stew. “Did you use some of the goretusk in this?”

Iduna smiled. “Yes, after you dealt with those beasts, we had plenty to work with. I hadn’t planned on a big meal this week… money’s a little tight,” she bowed her head slightly. “But fortune and your sword favored us, so I figured I’d make one of your favorites.”

“Mama, is everything all right?” Elsa looked at her mother, concerned.

“Y-yes, everything’s fine, Elsa. Nothing to worry about.” Iduna wouldn’t meet her daughter’s eyes, looking down at her stew with a furrowed brow.

“Mama…” Elsa intoned, giving her a long look.

“I- it’s been hard, Elsa. The last few years have been harder than normal. I didn’t want to say anything, because I know you’d feed guilty about your studies and you wouldn’t stay - and it’s so important that you work hard for your own future. Besides, Anna’s home more often than not, so it’s not as lonely as I thought. It’s just… hard keeping up the farm by myself.” Iduna looked sadly into the sitting room, silently mourning Agnar’s absence. She cleared her throat. “But enough of your old mother being silly. It’s so wonderful to have you home for a little while.”

Elsa clasped her mother’s hand gently over the table. “I told Anna before, once I’m an adept, I won’t need to ask permission to leave Dalaran. Once that happens, any time you need me, send word and I’ll be here in literally a blink of an eye, all right?”

Iduna silently squeezed Elsa’s hand and nodded before clearing her throat. “Now, umm, let’s finish our dinner. I apologize, I didn’t have anything made for dessert.”

Elsa grinned. “Let me take care of that.” She wove her fingers and chanted a short spell, reaching into the arcane, and in seconds a plate of magical cinnamon rolls appeared on the table.

“Holy shit, you can conjure desserts?” Anna exclaimed, squealing with glee as she stared at the plate, sniffing it like a hound. “It… it smells so real! What else can you make?”

“Umm… it is real, Anna. And I can make cupcakes, strudels, puddings, cakes, pies, brownies, lollipops-”

“What about chocolate? Can you conjure chocolate? How much could you conjure?”

Elsa looked up to the ceiling as she mentally sorted the spells in her spellbook. “Umm… if we can, I haven’t learned that one yet, though I think the brownies contain arcane chocolate?”

“If you weren’t already my favorite person in the world, you would be now, sis,” Anna said as she hoarded three cinnamon rolls on her plate, much to Iduna and Elsa’s amusement. “Once you make adept, I expect you to teleport me cookies and brownies every weekend, sister mine.” She dug into the desserts with glee.

* * *

## Author’s Notes

Sisters of Westfall was stuck as an idea forever, something I discussed with Fishycoffee back in 2020 and the vagaries of World of Warcraft’s crazy timeline almost made this story not happen. It took me a week to figure out exactly what happened when, and despite the fact that it’s been 17 calendar years since World of Warcraft was released, in-game it’s something like 10-12 years.

Thankfully, Elsanna Week 2021 came along and the 7 prompts Glittering Snowfall put together just felt… right. Like the chapter headings of a multi-part fic, so that’s how Sisters of Westfall happened. Enjoy!

### Join The Party

Enjoyed this story? Want to meet fellow readers and discuss? Join the Elsanna Shenanigans community on Discord at discord.gg/TU9NpnH (copy and paste that URL)

As always, please review, kudos, comment, like, follow, all that good stuff. I appreciate it.

### The Usual Disclaimer

Disney owns all of its characters and intellectual property. Blizzard owns all of its characters and intellectual property. No infringement is intended, nor is this work commercial in any way.


	2. Whispers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Remember what the boss said, hit hard and fast, no survivors, got it?"

## Sisters of Westfall, Part 2: Whispers

_Sentinel Hill, Westfall_

After they’d finished dinner with Iduna, the sisters headed out for a drink or two - conjuring ale wasn’t something Elsa could do just yet. Iduna declined to join them, preferring to stay home, but encouraged them to go out and have fun.

They walked along the dusty road as the shape of Sentinel Hill’s main fortification loomed large over them. Ever since the end of the Great Cataclysm, Westfall had become substantially safer; in the time before the war, roving gangs of bandits and highwaymen would waylay unsuspecting travelers, taking their possessions and leaving them for dead on the sides of the roads. Walking from one town to the next after sunset was practically a death sentence for all but the most hardened warriors.

With the Westfall Brigade and the kingdom of Stormwind’s resurgence, Westfall was on the whole a much safer place. The occasional goretusk or vulture still attacked naive travelers, but neither sister felt especially unsafe as they walked into the center of Sentinel Hill as the sun began to set. In addition to being the largest town in the province, Sentinel Hill was also the home of the army base where Anna trained.

Amidst the bustle of new recruits reporting for training, the sisters found their way to the tavern on the army base, the Westfall Inn. Anna had spent more than a few nights during basic training at the Inn; the ale was cheap (always is in military towns) and the patrons mostly her fellow soldiers, so reasonably well-behaved and as safe as you could be in Westfall.

She’d donned ordinary farm clothes instead of her army uniform, and Elsa had left her Kirin Tor apprentice robes behind in favor of her old farm clothes as well, the better to avoid getting their uniforms dirty. Neither Westfall nor the bar were known for being clean, tidy, orderly places. Anna dragged her sister excitedly into the bar, eager to show her a slice of her army life.

The innkeeper, a brown-haired, middle-aged woman named Heather, stood behind the large wooden bar in her red blouse and tan corset as she poured mug after mug of beer for the patrons. At the far end of the room, a squad of Stormwind’s soldiers cheered at a table, a round of cards in progress. Anna sat down at the end of the bar with a smile. A woman clad in dark grey leather and a poorly-fitted cloak covering most of her face sat on the stool next to her, her hand in the air.

Heather sauntered over to the mysterious woman. “What’ll you have, honey?”

The mysterious woman’s eyes bulged momentarily before she regained her composure. “T-three pints of bitter brew for the table next to the booth, please,” she said, watching Anna cautiously out of the side of her eye. Anna smiled at her, sensing something familiar about her, but the woman gave no reaction at all, wordlessly taking her beers back to her table. Anna huffed and shook her head, then greeted the barkeep happily, motioning for Elsa to stop standing behind her and join her at the bar.

“Anna Jansen! Haven’t seen you in a few days,” Heather said with a grin. “We just got a new keg of Admiralty Ale from Kul Tiras, just your style.” Heather poured a mug of the Kul Tiran ale and slid it down the bar, then offered a jesting wolf-whistle at her companion. “Who’s this, new girlfriend?”

Elsa immediately turned bright red as Anna guffawed. “No, this is my sister Elsa. Elsa, Heather. Heather, Elsa. She’s just come back from studying in Dalaran. Can I get an ale for her on my tab, too?”

Heather nodded and slid another mug down the bar, the heavy glass coming to a stop perfectly in front of Elsa without so much as a drop spilled. “Thank you, Heather!” Anna chirped before sitting down at one of the corner booths, its tall back creating a secluded little cubby. Elsa scooted in next to her with her beer.

“This is… actually not bad,” Elsa said, sipping the foamy brew. She’d been a bit spoiled; Dalaran was home not only to the greatest magic users of Azeroth, but also a major hub for diplomacy and trade. That meant its restaurants and bars were second to none in terms of quality. The Westfall Inn’s beer wasn’t quite as high-end as the food and drink at the Legerdemain Lounge in Dalaran, but still quite good. “So… what’s involved still with your knighthood candidacy?”

Anna took a long draught of the ale, burping unceremoniously afterwards, to her sister’s chagrin. “What? Wizards of Dalaran don’t burp?”

“Not with such… vigor.”

“Well, get used to it if you’re going to hang around us army brats. Anyway, it’s mostly paperwork now, like I was telling you before dinner. I have to have an officer - a Knight-Captain or higher - endorse me, and then I sit before a board of Knight-Champions, review what I’ve done as a trainee, and hopefully earn my commission.” Anna leaned closer, to avoid talking too boisterously.

All Knights of Stormwind, in addition to swearing fealty to King Wrynn, also had to pledge to uphold the five virtues of the kingdom: courage, honor, courtesy, justice, and compassion. Trainees had to demonstrate in various challenges how they embodied each of the values.

She reflected on her four years of training thus far and what was left, shaking her head at the memories, good and bad. Long days and cold nights hiking in the fields, camping in the plains, practicing endless drills. Sitting for hours in makeshift classrooms, reviewing military strategy, how the Horde managed to conquer Stormwind decades ago.

She’d made it her personal mission to embody the virtues as Agnar had, to train harder than any other Knight-Cadet, to grow the Jansen name’s reputation in the service of the kingdom as her way of honoring Agnar’s loss.

“Knight-Captain Danuvin says I’m almost ready. I’ve passed the trials for honor, courtesy, justice, and courage, so all that I have to prove is compassion,” she smiled as she took another gulp of beer, suppressing a giggle. “It’s a shame it isn’t just passion. I’d have a much easier time proving that,” she smirked, blowing her sister a kiss.

Elsa spit her beer across the table. “Anna! In public?” she hissed, cleaning her mouth with her sleeve. “I mean, I don’t disagree with you, but… really!” After another sip to regain her composure, she spoke in a normal voice. “The Kirin Tor has something similar but a lot more involved. There are all sorts of crazy rituals and invocations, and you have to apprentice under an archmage even as an adept for a long time.”

Elsa’s journey to the Kirin Tor was a mirror image of Anna’s. She’d discovered her affinity for the magical arts purely by accident as a child, summoning ice and snow spontaneously in play. Fortunately, by that point, Agnar had a number of friends in the army and brought her to the Tower of Azora in Elwynn Forest for a consultation. The mages there had helped Elsa calm her fears as a child, and recommended as she hit adulthood that she study in Dalaran to make use of her abilities. Instead of letting her fears of hurting others with her abilities control her, Elsa’s time in Dalaran had let her blossom, see all the good she could do in the world with her abilities.

“I’ll still be studying with Archmage Elandra probably for a few years more, after I become an adept. By the…”

Elsa cocked her head as she overheard a few snippets from the booth next to theirs, the hair on the back of her neck standing up. She put her finger to her lips, gesturing to Anna that something was up as she wove a small spell to enhance her senses slightly. In the next booth behind Anna, hushed voices were whispering ferociously, hoping the din of the tavern would mask their conversation.

Elsa scooted closer to Anna so she could be nearer the booth’s occupants and hear more easily, just on the other side of their seat. Anna laced her fingers with Elsa’s and turned her head to listen in as well, pretending she was just snuggling with her girlfriend. Heather looked across the room from the bar and arched her eyebrow before going back to cleaning glasses.

“It’s almost time, Syd said we’re ready to make our move,” hissed a low male voice. “Katal, do you have what you need?”

Anna looked at her sister, wondering what they were overhearing. She made a mental note to remember the whispered name, Katal. She scrunched her brow - that was an unusual name, one that didn’t even sound like a name to her. The woman’s partially obscured face came back to her, the sense of familiarity nagging at her.

The mysterious woman’s voice replied sharply. “Yeah, I got what I needed in Booty Bay, Almazim. I followed your orders exactly.”

The man’s voice, Almazim, seemed unsatisfied. “Okay, so Katal, you head for Saldean’s place first and work your way to the others from there. Jaysh, you and your boys head for Alexston’s farm. Once we’re done there, we move onto the rest. Remember what the boss said, hit hard and fast, no survivors, got it?” Boots scuffled against the booth as the occupants stood to leave.

Anna motioned to get up immediately, but Elsa placed her hand on her forearm and shook her head. She counted to five on her fingers, made a show of yawning and then loudly said, “Well, we should be getting home. I’m sure Mama doesn’t want to be up late worrying about us.” With that, the sisters stood and walked out of the tavern, placing a few silver coins in Heather’s tip jar as they looked to follow the mysterious strangers.

“Where did they go?” Anna asked, surveying the roads just outside Sentinel Hill as the sun set across the land. “They couldn’t have run away that quickly.”

Elsa scanned the landscape as well, mystified. “I don’t see them at all. Maybe they had horses? Either way, that didn’t sound good. It sounded almost like they’re going to attack the farms in the area.”

“We should warn Farmer Saldean - I heard the leader say they were going there first.”

Elsa shook her head and took Anna’s hand, pulling her towards home. “We should get home as fast as we can. Mama’s all alone.” They broke into a run as they headed up the dusty road.

* * *

## Author’s Notes

Ooh, the mystery woman. She’s trouble. Then again, the whole situation is trouble. Buckle up, because tomorrow’s prompt is sacrifice.

This is for day 2 of Elsanna Week 2021, the prompt being whispers.

### Join The Party

Enjoyed this story? Want to meet fellow readers and discuss? Join the Elsanna Shenanigans community on Discord at discord.gg/TU9NpnH (copy and paste that URL)

As always, please review, kudos, comment, like, follow, all that good stuff. I appreciate it.

### The Usual Disclaimer

Disney owns all of its characters and intellectual property. Blizzard owns all of its characters and intellectual property. No infringement is intended, nor is this work commercial in any way.


	3. Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time stood still as Elsa was forced to choose. Take down the bandit sneaking into their home, or take down the bandit about to shoot her sister? She cried out in her mind; either choice meant someone she loved would be hurt or killed.

## Sisters of Westfall, Part 3: Sacrifice

_Content warnings: blood and gore, violence._

_Westfall_

The sisters ran down the dirt road away from Sentinel Hill, Elsa barely keeping up with Anna’s peak physical conditioning. From time to time she’d have to cast her blink spell, accelerating her over a short distance.

“Remind… me why… you can’t teleport… us there…” Anna breathed as she ran.

“Can’t… without… permission,” Elsa gasped, her face flushed, every muscle in her body aching from the exertion, her lungs on fire. She envied her sister’s fitness from all her army training as she tried to keep up, and wove her fingers shakily to cast a frost spell over herself, making the exertion more manageable.

The sisters ran past Saldean’s farm, momentarily stunned to see one of the farmhouses ablaze. They doubled their efforts to get home, terrified that they’d see their home equally aflame. As they approached the farmhouse, Anna pulled her sister to the side of the road, down in a shallow gulch.

“Look, in the shadows… looks like 3 or 4 guys at least. Shit, Elsa… my armor and sword are at the barracks. What are we gonna do?” Anna mumbled, assessing the situation. Despite not being a formally sworn knight, she had all the training and skills of one, and she didn’t like the odds they were facing. With her armor and sword? Sure, she could take on a few bandits pretty easily. In her platoon she had many nicknames, but the one she was most proud of was Red Dervish, for her ability to roar into battle, whirling her broadsword around her like a storm of iron.

Elsa peered over the dirt berm. “What if I take down one of the ones furthest away? There’s a bandit just behind the smokehouse, and I don’t think the others can see him.”

“Can you take him down without any noise?”

“Maybe,” she murmured. “Definitely two shots, maybe one if I’m lucky. I haven’t learned the more complex spells yet for this sort of thing - they don’t teach them to apprentices until after we become adepts. And… I’ve only done this on training dummies, but my scores have been at the top of the class?”

Anna gently squeezed her shoulder. “I believe in you, Elsa. I always have. You can do this.”

Elsa closed her eyes and reached for the magic in the air surrounding them, her hands beginning to glow a faint blue color. Tiny snowflakes dusted from her skin as she concentrated her mind. In one hand a ball of white frost energy appeared, looking like an ethereal snowball; in the other hand, a wicked shard of ice levitated above her palm.

Elsa reached out with the ball of frost energy first, casting a frostbolt across the road and hitting the bandit behind their home. Just as it landed, she flung the ice shard behind it, the icicle speeding to its target like a bullet.

The bandit fell over dead, his head blue and cold, the shard of ice buried in his heart. Elsa swallowed loudly as Anna grabbed her hand and they ran to the downed man. She looked in shock at the body, cold mist seeping from it, and suppressed the urge to vomit. In all her life, in her four years of training, she’d never had to kill someone. She’d never even imagined having to kill someone.

Anna clasped her hand, knowing what was going through Elsa’s head. “Hey. You did what you had to, sis. Remember, this is about saving Mama.” Elsa nodded wordlessly as she watched her sister remove the bandit’s armor.

“It’ll have to do,” Anna whispered, donning the man’s leather vest and grabbing his sword, a slightly rusty one-handed sword that had clearly seen better days. She quietly reached over to the barrels outside the kitchen door and grabbed one of the garbage can lids, using it as a makeshift shield.

Elsa forced herself to conceal her emotions, to avoid feeling the guilt and shock of killing someone, so that they could save their mother. She peeked around the corner briefly. “I can’t see if Mama’s okay, but it looks like there are four left in front of the house.” Dread filled her heart; while apprentices had practiced the basics of magical combat, she’d never had to use her skills in actual fighting - and certainly not in life or death stakes with her family.

Anna nodded, a grim smile on her lips. “Back me up. I’ll grab their attention - you try to take them down while I keep them busy, okay?” She began to purposefully hyperventilate, forcing as much air in and out of her lungs as possible to ready herself for battle. “Ready?”

Blue and white frost began to gather around Elsa’s hands as she nodded at her sister.

“FOR THE ALLIANCE!” Anna screamed as she charged out from behind the house, sword held high, startling the bandits. Two of them ran towards her, swords drawn, while another two reached inside their coats for weapons. Anna clashed with the swordsmen, parrying their blows easily with the trash can lid and running one of them through immediately. True to her nickname, she looked like a whirling dervish, spinning in circles as her blade forced the attackers to retreat.

One shadowy bandit dressed in a dark cloak snuck past Elsa but couldn’t help catching her eye as the bandit opened the door to their home…

… while the fourth bandit pulled out a pistol and took aim at the back of Anna’s head. Had she been wearing her Stormwind armor, it would have been relatively inconsequential. Unarmored, she was in mortal danger.

Time stood still as Elsa was forced to choose. Take down the bandit sneaking into their home, or take down the bandit about to shoot her sister? She cried out in her mind; either choice meant someone she loved would be hurt or killed. Finally, she weighed the odds. Anna was unlikely to survive a shot at point-blank range, whereas the intruder in their home was an unknown.

She made her choice and pushed her hands forward, sending frost and icicles at the bandit about to shoot Anna. He fell, knives of ice impaling his body. Anna finished off the last swordsman and ran back to her sister.

“Anna!” Elsa ran towards her sister. “Someone’s in-”

A bloodcurdling scream echoed from inside their home.

“Mama!” both sisters shouted, sprinting as quickly as they could to the home. There was no sign of the fourth bandit as they crashed into the farmhouse, but Iduna lay slumped over the table, a dagger lodged in her back.

“No! Mama, no!” Anna cried, grabbing her mother’s limp form before her body could fall over. Blood had begun to drip from the wound, staining Iduna’s dress. She looked up at her sister in anguish. “Elsa, do something! Can- can you heal her somehow?”

Elsa shook her head as tears flooded her eyes. “I… I’m not a priest, Anna. I can’t heal, mages can’t heal. The best… the best I can do would be to freeze the wound for now, so we can get help.” She reached deep inside herself, thinking of the runes for using frost the way she’d been with her icicles and frostbolts. As an apprentice, she knew very few spells; her studies had been mostly about learning how to channel energy and work with the arcane, not applying it, and certainly not under the duress of battle.

All her life, Elsa had had an affinity towards magic, but frost magic most of all. From even early on as a child, she’d been able to conjure little snowmen, so when she applied to the Kirin Tor, Archmage Elandra herself had evaluated the young blonde’s talents and found her natural talents to be robust, worthy of acceptance into the Kirin Tor as a novice.

In the back of her mind, Elsa heard a gentle voice, almost a siren song, and with it came runes she’d never cast before. In her mind’s eye, they were smooth as glass, blue ice begging to be set free. She had no idea what spell it was, no idea how she even knew it, but she touched the ice and felt the magic come rushing from the ether, through her hands, and to her mother.

Iduna’s body was suddenly encased in a giant block of blue ice, protected from harm and frozen solid.

“Elsa!” Anna shouted in alarm. “What? What is this?”

“I… I think it’s a more advanced spell. I don’t know, Anna, I was just wracking my brain, trying to remember all the book learning we’d done in year 2 about the different spells that existed, and I… felt this magic inside me, so I let it out. I think it’s an Ice Block; it’s something battle mages do in combat when they’re grievously wounded,” Elsa said, touching the ice as tears ran down her cheeks. She could feel the subtle energy, the magic holding the ice in place. Until she released the spell or her magical power reserves were depleted, it would remain solid.

“Is Mama alive?” Anna asked, stunned at the solidity of the ice surrounding her. “Can she even breathe?”

Elsa nodded. “Yes, she’s alive but frozen solid. Though the moment that the ice fades away, she’ll be in mortal danger again. We need to get her to a healer, and quickly. My magic can’t hold forever.”

Anna turned her head, looking in the direction of her barracks. “There’s… Priestess Anderson at Sentinel Hill - she’s our squad’s medic. She could help!”

“It’s too far, Anna. I don’t think my magic will hold that long,” Elsa said, shaking her head. She considered her options, her scowl deepening with every mental choice, until she settled on one. “I… I’m going to get in a lot of trouble for this, but I know where we can take Mama to be healed, and quickly. Take my hand?”

Anna clasped her hand with Elsa’s as her sister began an incantation. Violet energy spiraled around her and the frozen body of her mother, crackling like lightning, and then her stomach fell through the floor as reality slipped away.

* * *

## Author’s Notes

For those who do play World of Warcraft, I’ve basically put Elsa and Anna at roughly level 20 characters. That’s my mental idea of someone who isn’t a knight/full mage but has been studying a while. As a result, Elsa would know the basics, but Ice Block isn’t a skill we get until level 22. Technically portal isn’t until 24, but we get teleport at level 11, which is what happens at the end of this chapter.

### Join The Party

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### The Usual Disclaimer

Disney owns all of its characters and intellectual property. Blizzard owns all of its characters and intellectual property. No infringement is intended, nor is this work commercial in any way.


	4. Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Baths are down the hall to the left. Please try not to stare at any other races awkwardly, okay?"

## Sisters of Westfall, Part 4: Healing

_Dalaran_

Anna felt the floor rise up underneath her feet as the violet energy around her body faded. Her stomach flipped one more time and she leaned over, vomiting on what looked like a nearby patch of grass just outside whatever doorway she had appeared in. She turned her head to see Elsa finishing weaving the spell, her mother next to her, still frozen in ice.

Anna caught her bearings; they were just inside the doorway of some kind of building, its walls a violet color with crystals sparkling around the door frame. While she braced herself against the door, she watched a grey-haired woman in long, elaborate purple and gold robes run up to whatever building they were in, a staff in her hand with a blue crystal on the end of it. Whoever the woman was, she was clearly furious, and Anna was tempted to stand in her way to protect her sister, had she not been so dizzy and ill.

“Apprentice Jansen!” the woman shouted harshly. “How dare you teleport to Dalaran without express perm-”

The woman stopped in her tracks as she saw the frozen figure of Iduna encased in ice, bloodstains on Iduna’s clothing, the bandit’s knife still visible in her back. The righteous anger in her face boiled away instantly. A boy, dressed similarly, followed just behind the woman, and nearly ran into her when she whirled around. “Page, tell Oliserra we will be arriving with wounded and to prepare the infirmary immediately,” she commanded. The boy turned and ran back out the door.

Elsa fell to her knees on the hard crystal floor, tears brimming in her eyes. “Please… please forgive me, Archmage Elandra. I… I had no choice. My mother was grievously wounded in an attack and I didn’t know where else I could go before I ran out of mana, before my magic depleted. I’m so sorry,” she cried. She knew the penalties for violating the rules, particularly around teleportation, were severe, up to and including being expelled from the Kirin Tor.

Archmage Elandra’s expression softened. “We will… discuss the breach in protocol later, my apprentice. Let us give aid to your wounded mother first. Now, let me see what you’ve done here.” She stepped forward and laid her hands on the block of ice, closing her eyes and murmuring softly to herself as she examined Elsa’s spell, channeling her own power to reinforce it. Elandra clucked her tongue. “This is very nicely done, Apprentice. Especially considering no one has taught you this spell yet. It would seem your affinity for frost magic continues to grow. Let’s get your mother to the infirmary, shall we?” The archmage traced runic patterns with her fingers, soft violet sparkles dancing in the air as the block of ice containing Iduna levitated off the floor and floated slowly to the door.

Elsa breathed a sigh of relief that she wasn’t excommunicated on the spot, then grabbed Anna’s hand and followed the Archmage and Iduna’s body as they made their way through the streets of Dalaran towards the infirmary in the Magus Commerce Exchange. Anna looked around in wonder at the magical city as she tried to keep pace with her sister and her teacher, occasionally stumbling at the unusual sights and sounds.

A few minutes later, they walked into First to Your Aid, the Dalaran infirmary where a beautiful High Elf in white and purple robes with waist-length flowing blonde hair greeted them. “Elandra, what have you brought me today?” the elf asked, her voice musical and soothing with a hint of laughter in it.

Elandra smiled. “Master Oliserra. I’ve brought a gravely injured woman and her…” she looked at Elsa questioningly.

“Daughters.”

“Her daughters. See what you can do for them?” Elandra finished, waving her fingers and levitating the block of ice containing Iduna’s body into the center of the room.

Oliserra smiled more broadly. “Of course. Thankfully it’s rather quiet now. Matron Alesso should be along shortly to help with the healing as well. Ah, here she is now.”

Another High Elf, dressed in flowing black and azure robes, strode in the door of the infirmary with a commanding presence. The sisters stepped back, overwhelmed at the amount of attention Iduna was receiving. Anna hugged Elsa, holding her by the elbow as relief washed over her.

“Alesso, thank you for coming,” Oliserra bowed and motioned towards Iduna. “This woman has been grievously injured but is ice blocked. Can you heal her?”

Alesso nodded her head, closed her eyes, and reached one hand to the sky. Golden light suffused her form and she reached out with the other hand, her palm facing Iduna. The same golden light poured from her hand like a spotlight, penetrating the ice block and illuminating Iduna from within. “Archmage, to complete the healing, we will need to remove the blade. Can you fade the ice away please?”

Elandra touched the ice block and the ice turned to soft snowflakes as it floated into nothingness. Elsa felt a small relief as the spell stopped drawing on her magic, her knees weakening. With another infusion of the light from Alesso, the ugly blade expelled itself from Iduna’s body with a clatter on the floor as the wound sealed. Oliserra, Elsa, and Anna caught Iduna’s limp body and laid her down on one of the cots.

With a small flourish, Alesso took her leave, her priestly healing done. Oliserra observed Iduna’s vitals, measuring the shallowness of her breath and taking her pulse. “Which of you has responsibility for this woman?” she asked kindly.

Elsa and Anna looked at each other before Anna spoke. “I suppose I do, since I live with her most of the time. How can I help?”

“She was quite badly hurt; while the Light has worked its wonders, it has left her quite exhausted. I also sense something else amiss here as well, as though the healing is not complete. I recommend that she spend the night, and possibly the next day here, just to be sure. Do you have accommodations nearby?” Oliserra asked.

Elsa stepped forward. “Yes, I’m an apprentice here. Anna can stay with me in my dormitory for the time being.” She completely missed Anna’s small smirk behind her back.

“Very good. Well, we should let your mother rest. Leave your dormitory number on the scroll at the door and I’ll send along a novice to fetch you when she wakes?” Oliserra gestured.

“Thank- thank you so much!” Anna gushed. “I would never have been able to do any of this myself. I- we- we’re both so grateful, to all of you,” she said, her eyes wet, as she looked to her sister, Oliserra, and Elandra.

“Come, Apprentice Jansen, and bring…?” Elandra looked quizzically at Anna.

“Anna. Anna Jansen. I’m Elsa’s sister,” she said, blushing a bit at realizing that she was restating the obvious.

Elandra softly smiled at Anna’s fumbling. “Very well, Miss Anna Jansen. Come along. We’ll get you settled into your accommodations while I have a word with my apprentice.”

* * *

The three women walked down the streets of Dalaran as they headed towards the dormitories in Runeweaver Square, passing creatures and sights that had Anna goosenecking every so often.

“So, Apprentice Jansen…” Elandra began, glancing at Elsa as they navigated the passersby on the streets.

Elsa bowed her head, knowing she deserved a substantial dressing-down. “I’m sorry, Archmage. I know the rules, that apprentices may never teleport or portal without express permission from their masters. I- I didn’t know what else to do. From my reading, an Ice Block can only hold for so long before it breaks.”

Elandra nodded her head. “You do your studies credit, Apprentice. And your use of a teleport was not without merit, given the circumstances. I would have done the same, in a question between rules and the life of someone I loved. What I am more interested in is how you, despite your youth and the relatively short time you’ve been here, have learned Ice Block at all. That is quite a complicated spell, mainly because of how easily mistakes happen to the caster. I’ve lost track of the number of adepts I’ve had to thaw over the decades. We rarely teach it except to Battle Mages because of its limited utility in daily life. To have an apprentice cast it at all, much less on someone else, is unheard of.”

Elsa recounted the moment when she saw her mother, when her heart stopped. Time froze and in that brief space, she heard the song and saw the runes in her mind. She described what happened to Archmage Elandra, who slowed her walking pace as she digested the information.

“Tell me, Apprentice. Did you merely feel like time had stopped, or did time actually stop?”

“I… I don’t know, Archmage. I wasn’t really paying attention to the surroundings, I was so focused on my mother,” Elsa admitted, wondering where this line of intense questioning was coming from. Usually, novices and apprentices found themselves in trouble for spells going wrong, not spells going right.

Elandra slowly nodded as they stepped into the dormitories, walking up a narrow staircase. “Apprentice, there should be enough room on the floor of your room to for your sister to rest. I will have a page bring up a bedroll. Please make space in your room.” As the girls began to walk down the hall, Elandra interrupted. “Miss Jansen - Anna? May I have a word with you in private, please?”

Anna turned, confused. “Hi- me? I’m not a mage?” she asked, pointing at herself.

Elandra gestured for Anna to take a seat on one of the chairs in the dormitory lounge while Elsa departed, looking over her shoulder with concern.

“Yes, Miss Jansen. I had just one question for you. Would you describe for me, in your own words, what happened when your sister froze your mother’s body in a block of ice?”

Anna thought back to the horrible moment. “Well, it was in the kitchen, and I saw Mama slumped over the table. She was bleeding a ton, blood was dripping down her back and onto the floor. I asked Elsa if she could heal her, and she said no, mages don’t have that kind of magic. Which, by the way, seems really silly. I mean, why can you light things on fire and levitate stuff and not apply like, a magical bandage to somebody? That seems like an oversight-”

“Miss Jansen.”

Anna blushed. “Sorry, um, anyway, Elsa said she couldn’t do that, and the next thing I know, this huge block of ice just appeared around Mama. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Elandra raised an eyebrow. “So you did not see or hear your sister cast the actual spell? You are certain you did not hear a few seconds of murmuring or words being spoken, perhaps a series of gestures?”

“Not… really. She was touching Mama’s back for a moment and then poof! Glacier in the kitchen,” Anna grinned.

“Thank you, Miss Jansen. You’ve been most helpful. I shall take my leave of you now and let you rest after quite a hectic day,” Elandra bowed briefly before turning and walking away, her robes making a gentle swishing sound.

Anna walked down the halls of the dormitory and found her sister’s room after poking her head into a few doors, surprising at least one resident and causing plenty of mutual embarrassment. “Elsa, you’ll never believe what I just saw!”

Elsa pinched the bridge of her nose. “Do I even want to know?”

“It was a giant naked wolf person! I’ve never seen one before! I mean, I’ve heard of them, but I’ve never actually seen one!”

“That- that’s- okay, first, they’re not wolves. That was a Worgen. They’re from Gilneas, on the far northern edge of the Eastern Kingdoms. Second, that was Camille. She was my roommate earlier this year,” Elsa groaned, holding her forehead in her palm.

Anna had grown up as many Stormwind citizens did, reasonably sheltered. Those who grew up in Redridge or Westfall never got to the capital city much, where they would have interacted with the half dozen races that made up the Alliance. Even the Westfall Brigade, despite having been to Northrend and beyond, was still exclusively human.

“Well… still, it was neat. I understand why you left home to come study here. This is… all just so exciting!” Anna hooted, bouncing with excitement despite the rigors of the day. She turned to see the page Elandra had promised, standing in the doorway with a thin bedroll and a flimsy pillow.

“Thank you,” Elsa sighed, taking the bedding and dismissing the page, then closing the door to her room. Like all the novice and apprentice quarters, the rooms were cozy; enough space for bookshelves, reagents, and a study desk, a bed, and that was about it. Elsa looked at her sister and tossed the pillow on the bed. “I assume we won’t need the bedroll,” she grinned and winked.

Anna blushed and nodded vigorously. “Yeah, no need for that at all, sis. I’ll just go bathe and clean up, and then we can get some sleep?”

“Baths are down the hall to the left. Please try not to stare at any other races awkwardly, okay?”

* * *

Elandra picked up the quill pen on her desk, making notes for her own master, Archmage Modera, about the progress of the various novices and apprentices under her care. Reviewing the day was usually quite easy, but Apprentice Jansen showed power and skill far above her station. With a soft smile to herself, she pulled out a scroll with Elsa’s name on it and noted the date, then began writing.


	5. Nature

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna whispered, “Is he pretending to speak for the deer?” Elsa shrugged, wondering the same thing, and struggling to contain her laughter as the stag looked at Kristoff in what she swore was annoyance.

## Sisters of Westfall, Part 5: Nature

_Content warnings: violence, brief mentions of cannibalism._

_Dalaran_

“Anna…” Elsa whispered. “Anna, get off!” She had woken to find the redhead not only wrapped around her in bed, but covering her like a blanket. Ordinarily, Elsa wouldn’t have minded, but she had to relieve herself. Finally, she managed to escape her sister’s grasp by casting Blink, a very short-range teleportation spell that even the most novice mages learned early on.

Afterwards, she returned to her quarters and closed the door as quietly as she could, only to see Anna sitting up in bed with a sly grin. “Morning, sis! How did you sleep?” she asked, her copper hair a wild tangle.

“Not too bad, though you were laying on me the whole night!” Elsa chuckled, staring at Anna’s untamed mane. “How about you?”

“Well, after we finished,” Anna blushed, “I slept very well, thank you. I always do after we’re… together.” She smiled at the memory of the evening. Their schedules were so incompatible that seeing each other for a few hours, months apart was customary. An entire evening together was decadent luxury, and Anna had made the most of it in her sister’s arms.

It was Elsa’s turn to blush. “Yes, well, I do too. We should probably get our day started and head down to the infirmary to check on Mama.” She donned her apprentice robes and made a mental note to ask Oliserra for a small healing tonic; Anna had left a few bruises that were more conspicuous than she liked.

Anna’s stomach rumbled. “Can we get something to eat along the way?” she asked over her shoulder with a grin as she ducked down the hall to the bathrooms.

* * *

After a quick stop at the Legerdemain Lounge for some pastries and Blackrock coffee, the sisters headed towards the infirmary. Anna sipped her coffee thoughtfully as they walked.

“What are you thinking, Anna?” Elsa asked as she sipped her own coffee, wincing at the strong, bitter brew. The Legerdemain’s staff knew mages tended to stay up too late, so their coffee erred on the punishingly strong side.

“I saw your old roommate again on my way to wash my face, and she… uh…”

“She what?”

“She sniffed a whole lot in the air and then winked at me before closing the door to her room. Why did she do that?”

Elsa pinched the bridge of her nose as she slowed her walk. “Camille is a Worgen. In her Worgen form, she has all the faculties of a wolf as well as a human. So she…” Elsa turned crimson, “she smelled… me… on you…”

“Smelled? Smelled what- OH. Oh. Oh! Oops. I mean, it’s not like I didn’t wash my face and everything but… oh. Oops. Sorry?” Anna giggled, cringing slightly.

“Let’s… just get to the infirmary?” Elsa said as she chugged her coffee, wishing she was a high enough ranking mage to cast invisibility on herself and vanish from embarrassment.

As they entered the infirmary, Oliserra was tending to the patients, checking each one. Iduna lay sleeping in one of the cots, still pale and with a slight greenish tinge to her skin.

“Master Oliserra,” Elsa started, bowing to the healer, “How is our mother faring?”

The high elf turned to face the sisters. “Not as well as I would like, Apprentice Jansen. Your mother is still resting, but she is not healing any further. I am at a loss as to why.” The elf administered a cold compress to Iduna’s head as she listlessly tossed in her sleep. “I have never seen anything like this. Usually patients begin healing swiftly after an infusion of the Light, if not fully recovering during it.”

Anna knelt at the side of her mother’s cot, carefully taking Iduna’s limp hand in her own. “She’s… she’s so warm, she’s burning up!”

Oliserra checked Iduna’s pulse. “She is. This is highly unusual for a simple knife wound, even a severe one. Master Alesso’s healing should have repaired most of the damage and eliminated any possibility of infection.” She stopped as a thought crossed her mind, turning to the small table next to the bed. “This knife… have you ever seen anything like it?” Oliserra asked, holding up the dagger that they’d removed from Iduna’s back the previous day. It was a short, stubby knife with a wide blade, a hand guard that looked like dragon wings, and vicious serrated edges along both sides of the blade.

The sisters both shook their heads. Elsa was the first to speak, carefully holding the knife by its leather-wrapped handle. “I can check the libraries in the Violet Citadel. Perhaps we have some record of a blade like this?”

A high-pitched voice spoke up behind the women. “Be careful not to touch the edges of that blade.” A gnome, dressed in crimson leather from head to toe, his face obscured by a blood red mask, stood at the entrance to the infirmary. “Forgive me for interrupting, Master Oliserra. I was just stopping by for some bandages and couldn’t help but overhear your conversation.”

“Pathstalker Gilen,” the high elf bowed. “Always a pleasure to see you, especially uninjured.”

The ominous look of the gnome’s armor conflicted with his high-pitched squeal of laughter and his exceptionally short stature. “Yes indeed! Now, if you don’t mind, may I see the knife?” he said, walking over to Elsa and gingerly taking the knife from her hands. He turned it at all angles, staring down the spine, and finally sniffed it repeatedly like a dog, deeply confusing Elsa.

“Master Pathstalker, what is it?” Elsa asked softly, feeling guilty for interrupting the gnomish rogue.

“Please, just Gilen. This is a blade known to us rogues. Its name is the Dusk Blade, and it has been lost to us for some time. We last saw it in Stranglethorn Vale years ago. There is a poison of some kind on the blade - nothing mystical, which is why you cloth-wearing folks weren’t able to sense it. But it’s not a poison I recognize, and that’s pretty rare,” Gilen said, carefully placing the blade back on the nightstand. “You might want to head for Stranglethorn Vale and see what you can find. If you can hunt down this poison’s source, you may be able to create an antidote. I can’t tell you much more than that, save that it almost certainly comes from a plant, probably native to the area.” The gnome waved cheerfully, picked up the package of bandages from the counter, and wandered off, leaving the women speechless.

“Umm… I guess we should start packing?” Anna said with a shrug of her shoulders.

* * *

An hour later, the sisters had a couple of ebonweave travel bags filled with basic supplies on Elsa’s bed, along with some light armor they’d been able to procure at the auctioneers for a few silver. Anna had wanted to buy something heavier, but they didn’t have much money to spare.

As they finished inventory of their supplies, Archmage Elandra knocked on the door.

“Archmage!” Elsa startled, bowing deeply. “I- I wasn’t expecting you. Did I forget something? Was I supposed to report to you?”

Elandra smiled kindly at her apprentice, watching fear and respect war in her eyes. “No, Apprentice Jansen. I had just stopped by the infirmary and heard from Oliserra that you were planning to chase down the mysterious poison afflicting your mother.”

“Yes, we’ll be leaving shortly for Stormwind from the Greyfang Enclave. We should be able to find passage from the city to Stranglethorn Vale,” Anna offered as Elsa stood speechless. “It probably would be easier to take a gryphon, but that’s an expensive trip, especially for two.”

Elandra tilted her head. “Why would you not simply teleport there? Your sister could take you directly to the jungle’s entrance - its ley lines are well known.”

“Oh! Well… umm…” she looked at Elsa, confused.

Elsa bowed her head, finally overcoming the shock of seeing her mentor, her teacher taking such personal interest in her mother’s cause. Elandra typically kept all her apprentices and adepts at arm’s length, the better to observe them. “I didn’t think it would be appropriate for me to ask after teleporting yesterday without permission, Archmage.”

Elandra smiled at her apprentice. “You honor the Kirin Tor with such humility, Apprentice Jansen. Here,” the archmage fished a parchment out of her robes, “… is authorization for you teleport to Stranglethorn Vale with your party and return to Dalaran at any time. You will note that it has been signed by an Archmage - myself, of course - and witnessed by another.”

Elsa’s eyebrows shot up. Quests of these nature were often reserved for adepts or full conjurors; an apprentice being given such latitude was beyond irregular. “Pathstalker Gilen has endorsed this? Why?”

“He has not been fully forthcoming, but I suspect the poison you are in search of is something that both the Pathstalker order and your Stormwind’s SI:7 have also been looking for. Gilen may appear a harmless gnome, but he is shrewd and calculating, as any rogue should be. This is an opportunity for his order.” Elandra rolled the scroll up and sealed it with a magical rune. “Travel safely, Apprentice. May you find what you’re looking for.” The archmage teleported away in a flash, leaving the sisters momentarily quiet.

“Well… that was… something,” Elsa murmured. “I’ve never seen Archmage Elandra be so interested in such a… quest like ours. And Gilen! What have we stumbled into, Anna?”

Anna shrugged. “Whatever it is, I’m glad they’re interested enough to help us. I wasn’t looking forward to spending a few hours on a horse from Stormwind. I’m a little sore from last night,” she cackled, making her sister bow her head into her palms. “Ready, sis?”

Elsa nodded, her cheeks still burning, as she began casting a portal to Stranglethorn Vale.

* * *

“Oh my god it’s so hot here,” bemoaned Anna, sweating profusely as the sisters walked down the dirt paths of the jungle. Even with light mail armor instead of her usual plate and a bastard sword instead of her preferred two-hander, Anna felt like she was melting. “You’re a frost mage, Elsa. Can’t you do something about this heat?”

Elsa rolled her eyes for what felt like the thousandth time and cast the smallest, weakest frostbolt she could at Anna’s armor, chilling it.

“Thank youuuuuu!” her sister sang.

After crossing over several of Stranglethorn’s questionably maintained rope and log bridges, during which Elsa cast Slow Fall on them both just in case the bridge gave way, they found themselves on the outskirts of what looked like a hunting camp of some kind. They crouched down in the dense foliage to observe, the mid-afternoon heat and humidity clinging to them like iron weights.

Parties of hunters came in and out of the camp, mostly Dwarven, but more than a few humans. On the perimeter, one hunter lay asleep on a rock, a giant stag next to him. The sisters watched for another half hour, attempting to discern whether the camp was friendly or hostile. Finally, an adventurer strode into the camp wearing a Stormwind tabard and none of the camp denizens reacted in a hostile fashion, the adventurer procuring some supplies before riding away.

Anna approached the sleeping hunter first. The man, a burly fellow dressed in dull reddish leather, snored under an equally dull beige lether hat. His rifle, slightly rusted, lay next to him while a giant stag snored against his side. The stag was enormous, easily an 18-point antle rack on his head, and his coat was a majestic silver. “Hey! Hey buddy!” she stage-whispered, tapping the sleeping hunter’s boot with hers.

The hunter coughed and lifted his hat. “Hemet, come on, I just got back to… uh, hi?” The man sat up, taking his hat off his head to reveal dirty, unkempt blond hair. “Who are you?” He stared in confusion, looking at both sisters.

“Anna and Elsa Jansen. Who are you?”

“Kristoff Bateman. I’m a hunter from Redridge, and this here is Sven,” he said as he patted the giant stag on his rump, who looked up from his nap in annoyance. “So… what brings two beautiful women to Stranglethorn?”

“We’re looking for a plant.”

Kristoff snorted and gestured to the grove of trees around them. “No shortage of those around here. You, uh, want to be a little more specific?”

Anna scowled. “A poisonous plant.”

“Look,” Kristoff said, rubbing the back of his neck, “this whole damn jungle is full of poisonous plants. You two are obviously new and have never been here before, so a word of warning. Literally everything in this jungle will try to kill you. I honestly couldn’t tell you what ISN’T poisonous here.”

Elsa interrupted, scowling. “We’re looking for a poisonous plant of some kind that would be used to make a poison for a dagger.”

“Lady, no one hunts in a jungle with daggers. Not unless you’re an idiot. See that tiger over there?” he scoffed, pointing at the feline prowling the perimeter of the camp, “If you have a dagger, poisoned or not, it’s not going to do you much good against one of those. About the only people who would use poison in this jungle would be… the trolls, probably.”

Anna’s eyes lit up. “And where would we find them?”

Kristoff rolled his eyes. “Are you serious? No one sane goes anywhere near the Gurubashi trolls. If the trolls catch you, they’ll skin you alive and then eat your organs… and then if you’re lucky, you might die.”

“I think we’re done here,” Elsa sighed, curling her lip at the graphic description of the trolls. “Thank you, Mr. Bateman, for your help. We’ll be on our way.” She ushered Anna away, only to find the hunter’s stag following them. “Umm… hello… err… Sven?”

The stag started to walk alongside the sisters, bobbing his head up and down.

“Sven! Hey, Sven! What- where are you going?” Kristoff yelled, running to catch up with them. “Come on, buddy. These two are nothing but trouble.” The stag huffed and walked closer to Elsa’s side. “Okay, okay, fine. We’ll help them find their mysterious poisonous plant.”

* * *

A day’s walk later, the trio of humans passed an area filled with crudely written wooden warning signs. “Beware: Mosh’ogg Ogres”, Anna read aloud as they walked down the dirt road, idly scratching at the bug bites she’d gathered over the past day’s hike. “What’s a Mosh’ogg?” she asked.

Kristoff shrugged. “I’m not actually sure, I’ve never been this far south on foot,” he said, looking around nervously and clutching his rifle. Sven stamped his foot, indicating his unease with the area. “What is it, Sven?” Kristoff then lowered his voice pitch and pretended to answer. “ _I bet something’s coming our way!_ ”

The sisters looked at each other uneasily. Anna whispered, “Is he pretending to speak for the deer?” Elsa shrugged, wondering the same thing, and struggling to contain her laughter as the stag looked at Kristoff in what she swore was annoyance.

Before Kristoff could embarrass himself further, the sound of footfalls broke the quiet, and the underbrush of the jungle shook vigorously. A moment later, an elderly green jungle troll with white hair burst out from the undergrowth, running frantically. Anna drew her sword, while Elsa held her hands up, readying her magic.

The troll kept running, and ran past the party, Kristoff watching in confusion. Then the ground started shaking.

Like the footfalls of a giant approaching.

Bursting through the brush was a giant two-headed ogre wielding an ugly club with spikes protruding from it. “TROLL DEAD!” the ogre shouted, swinging its club wildly. It spotted the hunting party and grinned, mouth full of sharp, broken teeth, and started running towards them.

“Shit,” Kristoff muttered, taking aim with his rifle. “Sven, go!” The stag ran at the ogre, lowering its head to gore it with the enormous horns as Kristoff shot the ogre square in the chest, causing it to roar in pain.

Anna charged at the ogre, ducking under the wild swings of its club as her sword bit into its legs. The club nearly caught her, but she brought her shield up at the last second and caught only a glancing blow.

Elsa gasped, momentarily stunned watching Anna’s deadly dance, before she cast frostbolts and ice lances at the giant creature. She managed to hit it in the head with a frostbolt, slowing it down considerably, and kept pummeling it with blast after blast of icy magic.

It felt like hours, but was less than a minute as the ogre fell to the ground, vanquished. Sven had suffered some minor injuries that Kristoff tended to, mending him as best as he could, while Anna cleaned her sword off and Elsa checked her sister for injuries, cooling off her bruises with her magic.

“Dank you, pink skins,” rumbled an elderly voice from behind them, causing Elsa to jump. “Not many adventurers would help a troll.” The troll that had been fleeing the ogre was sitting on the ground on the opposite side of the road.

“You’re… you’re welcome,” Elsa offered tentatively. “We’re glad we could help you. I’m Elsa, and this is my sister, Anna, and… umm… our friend Kristoff.”

“I be known by many names in dese parts, but my tribe’s name is Jin’Pab’Do. De pink skins I trade wit at Fort Livingston call me Pabbie,” the troll said, watching the humans carefully as he walked in a slow circle around them. “What brings you to my people’s lands?”

Kristoff started to speak, before Anna shoved him aside with a bright smile. “We’re looking for a plant that can be used as a poison to stop someone from healing!”

The troll laughed and shook his head. “Silly pink skin, no one plant does dat. You combine plants together to make such a ding. Otherwise it be too easy to find an antidote. My people use several plants here to make poison for our darts.” He sauntered over to a copse of trees and dense brush, motioning for them to follow him.

Anna followed him closely, with Elsa and Kristoff behind. “Here, pink skin. Dis be swifthistle. It makes poisons act fast,” he indicated, kneeling down and pulling out a handful of the sharp, thorny leaves. Anna opened her backpack and carefully wrapped the leaves in a cloth.

“Dis be wildvine. It makes de poison stronger,” he commented as he pulled a dense green vine from around the roots of a tree. Anna cut the vine with her knife and added it to her backpack.

“And dis be de secret, pink skin. I don’t know what de words are in your tongue, but dis herb slows down your body. My people use it for trances, but when you mix wit de other two, it becomes a deadly poison,” he intoned seriously as he retrieved some herbs from his own leather satchel. “Mash dem up, two parts dis to one part everything else, den put on your darts.”

Anna smiled. “Thank you so much, Pabbie. This is exactly what we needed!” She tossed caution aside and hugged the elderly troll, much to his shock and discomfort. “We’ll be on our way. Thank you again!” She looked at Elsa knowingly.

Pabbie bowed and slipped into the undergrowth while Elsa began summoning a portal for her and Anna to head back to Dalaran. Anna turned to Kristoff. “Thank you for your help too, Kristoff. And you too, Sven,” she said, patting the stag on the neck. “We couldn’t have done it without you.”

“You’re welcome, lady. You’re really kind of feisty, just charging at the ogre like that. I like it,” he grinned as he turned to his pet. “Okay Sven, let’s head back to camp. I imagine Nesingwary has the next bounty ready for all of us.”

Just as the portal finished forming… Sven jumped through it. All three gasped, speechless, before following the stag back to Dalaran.

* * *

## Author’s Notes

For those who don’t play World of Warcraft, this sort of “rush around from place to place on quests” is exactly what happens in the game. One minute you’re standing in your home city, the next minute you’re in some weird jungle hunting quills of a porcupine or beating up trolls for some poison.

And for those who do play, you’ll enjoy learning more about Kristoff and Sven in the next chapter.

### Join The Party

Enjoyed this story? Want to meet fellow readers and discuss? Join the Elsanna Shenanigans community on Discord at discord.gg/TU9NpnH (copy and paste that URL)

As always, please review, kudos, comment, like, follow, all that good stuff. I appreciate it.

### The Usual Disclaimer

Disney owns all of its characters and intellectual property. Blizzard owns all of its characters and intellectual property. No infringement is intended, nor is this work commercial in any way.


	6. Chivalry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “They’re SISTERS!” Kristoff sputtered, “They shouldn’t… be doing that… should they? Do Night Elves do that?”

## Sisters of Westfall, Part 6: Chivalry

_Content warnings: violence, blood and gore, discussion of slavery._

_Dalaran_

The sisters and Kristoff found themselves back in Runeweaver Square, Sven already waiting impatiently outside the building.

“What’s gotten into him?” Kristoff complained. “He’s never done anything like this as long as I’ve had him!”

“Err… just how long have you had him, Kristoff?” Elsa wondered aloud. Despite his confidence when they first met, she realized quickly that he was almost as much of a novice in the jungle as they were. Certainly his hunting skills were… average.

“Like… a month?”

Both sisters looked at each other, then gave Kristoff a long, mildly disapproving look.

Sven nuzzled up against Elsa as they began their walk to the infirmary. “Is he always this friendly?” Elsa asked. The stag seemed to nudge her repeatedly with his snout, as though he were trying to communicate something.

Kristoff shook his head. “No, usually he really doesn’t like other people. He really seems to have taken a liking to you,” he sighed, a tinge of jealousy in his voice. “Here, give him a carrot,” he offered, grabbing one out of his saddle bag.

Elsa gingerly took the carrot and put it near the stag’s mouth, expecting him to take a bite out of it. Instead, he grabbed it with his teeth and flung it into the street gutter, nearly clobbering her with his antlers. “Uh… I don’t think he likes carrots, Kristoff,” Elsa muttered.

Archmage Elandra was waiting for the group at the infirmary, having sensed the teleportation. “Ah, my apprentice. I trust your quest was successful?”

Elsa bowed to her master as Anna took the herbs over to Oliserra and began explaining what the Pabbie the troll had told them. “Yes, Archmage. We ran into a troll who gave us some guidance after we saved his life.”

“How fortuitous! I am pleased it worked out. And who are your companions?” she said, looking at Kristoff briefly before staring intently at Sven.

“I’m Kristoff, and this is my pet, Sven,” he said, patting Sven on the rump. “We’re hunters.”

“Are you now?” Elandra murmured, closing her eyes briefly and reaching out with her magic. “Your pet is cursed, afflicted with dark magic of some kind. Apprentice Jansen, this is a teaching moment. Close your eyes and reach out towards Sven with your mind.”

Elsa followed her teacher’s instructions, sensing a dark aura of some kind around Sven, like black chains around his body. “What- what is that?”

Elandra wove her hands in the air. “It is a curse of some kind, perhaps a hex. If you were dealing with trolls, it’s entirely possible a witch doctor hexed this poor creature, though to what end, I do not know.” Sven nuzzled insistently against both Elsa and Elandra. “Watch carefully, Apprentice Jansen, as I decurse this creature. See the steps in your mind.”

Elandra cast the spell, a small burst of violet light rushing from her fingers. Elsa could see the violet light settle like snow on Sven, the black chains beginning to break. Suddenly, the curse collapsed like glass shattering, the pieces of dark magic falling away…

… and Sven was no longer a stag, but a tall Night Elf standing before them.

Kristoff stood in shock, slack-jawed.

“Thank Elune!” the tall, muscular Night Elf shouted gleefully. “I’ve been trapped in travel form for over a month!” He shook Elandra’s hand vigorously. “I can’t thank you both enough. I was foraging for some rare herbs near Zul’Gurub when one of those blasted trolls stumbled upon me. Witch doctor, as you said,” he nodded to Elandra, “and before I knew it, I was in stag form - and couldn’t escape. Next thing I knew, this human hunter claimed to ‘tame’ me, which I used as an excuse to get away from the area with someone who I could outrun if the trolls came back to finish me off.”

Sven turned to Kristoff. “And YOU, hunter boy. I know you meant no harm, but by Elune, I can’t possibly eat any more fucking carrots!” the druid swore at Kristoff. “Stag and deer eat more than just carrots! What in the world were you thinking? Don’t you actually know anything about animals, being a hunter?”

Kristoff swallowed hard. “Uh… my family grows a lot of carrots on our farm in Redridge? Sorry,” he shrugged. “Hey, at least you didn’t starve or get roasted for dinner.”

Sven took a deep breath, settled his emotions, and clapped his hands together. “Now that that’s out of the way… my people’s culture requires me to repay my debt to you, Elsa, for finding and rescuing me from this curse. So until I have done so, I am at your disposal.”

Elsa squirmed slightly at the formality and gravity of Sven’s proclamation. “You’re welcome. And… umm… is Sven even your name?”

The Night Elf smirked. “Not even close. My name is Talriel Kharen’dil Bladesong of the House Thundercrest. As you no doubt surmised based on my quest, I am a druid of the Cenarion Circle,” he bowed deeply.

Kristoff, recovered from his shock, hesitantly asked, “Uh… can I still call you Sven? Also I’m really sorry about patting you on the ass so much when you were a deer.”

Talriel pointed at him, opening and closing his mouth silently before regaining his composure. “Just Talriel is fine. And… forget about the rest, though I will break your hands if you touch me there again, since you know who I am. Now, this poison you went in search of… it was used by an assassin?”

Elsa nodded as Anna dug the herbs out of her satchel. Talriel examined the herbs carefully. “So the troll told you two parts of this herb to one part of the others. I recognize the wildvine and the swifthistle. This third herb… it is something rare, something unfamiliar. What did you say it was doing?”

Oliserra pointed to Iduna’s sleeping body. “Whatever it is, it has slowed her healing and prevented her from waking. I have attempted to give her draughts of cinderbloom to no effect to wake her and stimulate her blood.” Iduna lay peacefully, a slight green hue still coloring her skin.

The sisters both stood by Iduna’s bed, each cradling a hand. “She’s still so warm, Elsa,” Anna said, tracing the lines on her mother’s worn, calloused hands.

Elsa nodded. “She is, but hopefully Oliserra can prepare an antidote, now that she has the herbs and the formula.” Elsa took her mother’s hand and one of Anna’s hands and held them together on her mother’s stomach. A few long moments passed as the druid and healer conferred.

Talriel shook his head. “No… this can’t be what I think it is. Bloodvine has been extinct for generations… unless the Gurubashi managed to keep some alive, hidden within their city. This is… quite remarkable. And there are berries! Oh, how wondrous!” he exclaimed, dancing in a circle. “With these, we might be able to regrow this long-lost herb outside of Stranglethorn Vale! I must get these back to my people soon.”

Oliserra looked at the herbs piled on the table. “This would make quite a potent poison, easily capable of killing someone in just a few moments. What do you suppose happened, that the assassin who attacked Iduna did not kill her?” the High Elf mused. “It almost seems intentional; the dagger in her back should have been a heart or kidney shot, instead of into the muscle, and the poison didn’t kill her, though by rights it should have been almost instantly lethal.”

“It was clearly intentional, Master Oliserra,” a gnome’s voice spoke up, causing everyone to turn their heads. Pathstalker Gilen wandered back into the infirmary. “I must thank you, my adventuring friends, for solving a mystery that has vexed the various rogue orders for some time. Such a rare and deadly poison was known to us long ago, but thanks to you, we know it once more. We are in your debt as well,” Gilen smiled. “With your permission, Archmage, may I take this blade back into the custody of the Pathstalker order?”

Elandra nodded in assent. “Apprentice Jansen, assuming you feel up to you, and with the assistance of your friends, you may wish to find the owner of this knife and determine their intent. There is more than meets the eye here, with long-lost troll poisons, curiously inept assassins, and cursed druids.” She pulled out another parchment and inscribed her orders on it. “By order of the Kirin Tor, you are authorized to investigate this mystery and bring back any knowledge you find. You may teleport to and from Dalaran and Westfall as you require, including transporting people and materials.” She handed the scroll to Elsa, who bowed and tucked it into her robes. “Do you wish for me to assign you a more experienced mage to accompany you?”

Elsa looked at her sister, who shook her head. “No thank you, Archmage Elandra,” Anna said confidently. “We’ll stop by my company at Sentinel Hill and I’ll ask Marshal Stoutmantle to assign us a platoon. If it’s an official Kirin Tor mission, I’m sure he can spare a couple of knights.”

“Very well, Miss Jansen. Good hunting,” Elandra nodded, as the motley crew waited for Elsa to finish casting a portal to Westfall.

* * *

_Westfall_

“I’m sorry, I can’t spare anyone at the moment, Knight-Cadet Jansen,” Knight-Captain Danuvin said to Anna as he looked up from his desk inside the Sentinel Hill tower. “Though we value our allies in the Kirin Tor, all our troops are either in the field or recovering. These constant skirmishes with the Horde are depleting us severely, especially with King Anduin ordering every outpost on high alert.”

Anna saluted meekly and walked out of the tower, finding Elsa, Kristoff, and Talriel waiting at the bottom of the battlement. She grimaced. “Stormwind doesn’t have any troops to spare because of the war against the Horde,” she sighed. “I guess… well, I guess we could try going it alone?”

“Uh, exactly what are we going up against?” Kristoff asked, pulling at his collar nervously.

“Just some bandits in the hills nearby. Nothing major,” Anna said, putting on a brave smile. “We can handle a few bandits, especially with your hunting skills and Elsa’s magic. And… Talriel, you said you’re a druid?”

The Night Elf nodded. “I am a full druid of the Cenarion Circle, and my skills are mostly in healing and rare herbs. If you plan to wage war, even against petty thieves, I am honored to assist you as repayment of my debt of honor.”

Anna smiled. “Okay, I’ll get my gear and we can head out. If I remember correctly, most of the bandits in the area used to hang out in Moonbrook, so we’ll start there.”

A half hour later, Elsa was leaning up against the side of the barracks, idly tracing lines of snow in the air when Anna emerged.

Anna strode out of the barracks dressed in heavy plate armor, her sword and shield pristine as her blue Stormwind tabard fluttered in the light breeze. She was every part the fierce, bold warrior she’d trained to be, and Elsa nearly fell over gawking at her sister’s beauty.

“You… you look amazing, Anna. I- I don’t think I’ve ever seen you dressed in your full armor like this. You’re truly my knight in shining armor” she said, tracing a finger over the shining steel, a thin layer of frost creeping over it to keep her sister cool.

Anna laughed. “You look pretty delectable yourself, Miss Ice Queen.” She hugged her sister gently, trying to avoid pressing any of the sharper edges of her armor and bruising Elsa, then stole a quick kiss before finding the rest of their group near the Inn.

“All right, everyone got everything they need?” Heads nodded, and their party set out for Moonbrook.

Elsa sidled up to her sister along the walk as Kristoff and Talriel scouted ahead. “Do you think we’re going to run into much trouble?” she asked, worried. After the skirmish that injured Iduna, Elsa struggled to keep her fears contained.

Anna shook her head. “I’m sure it’s going to be fine, Elsa. What’s a few bandits against a group of bold adventurers like us?” she grinned, rubbing her sister’s forearm. “Not that we’re invincible or legendary warriors or anything, but we know what we’re doing. Kristoff’s an okay shot, I’m ready to be the Red Dervish, you’ve got your magic, and Talriel can patch us up if things don’t go well.”

Ahead, Kristoff and Talriel took cover behind a broken-down wagon on the side of the road just on the edge of the abandoned town of Moonbrook. The sisters joined them, crouching down. “What is it?” Anna asked, straining to look around the edge.

“Red bandannas,” Kristoff whispered. “That makes them Defias Brotherhood. We had big trouble with them in Redridge a few years back. They’re bad news. Do you think… if we go back to Sentinel Hill, do you think they’ll take it more seriously if we tell them what we’re up against?”

Anna shook her head. “We’re it. Knight-Captain Danuvin said they had no one to spare, not even other cadets. How many did you see?”

“I uh… I’m not sure,” Kristoff muttered. A sigh of frustration sounded behind him, and Talriel shapeshifted into a giant black panther, creeping towards the ruined settlement.

“He’s still mad at me,” Kristoff said, watching the druid walk the length of the compound.

“How much time did you spend groping his butt?” Anna giggled quietly.

“Hey! I didn’t know he wasn’t a deer!”

Elsa shushed them both, though she herself struggled to contain her mirth. Leave it to her sister to not only pick up a stray hunter, but a stray hunter with a pet that turned out to be an elf.

A few minutes later, Talriel returned, shapeshifting back into his Night Elf form. “I counted approximately twenty bandits in three buildings. I suspect the ones we want are in the building with the bell tower. They appear to be the leaders, or at least the ones giving the orders. The packs in the outer buildings appear to be mostly foot soldiers.”

“Four against twenty?” Kristoff gasped. “Those are shitty odds, Anna. Maybe we should call it off, find some other way to get help. We could go back to Dalaran and ask for the Archmage’s help after all?”

Anna shook her head again. “We’re already here, and I don’t want them to get away. We need a distraction of some kind so we can slowly pick them off, rather than fight that many all at once.”

“Kristoff, hand me your pistol,” Elsa said. The hunter handed a small, worn single shot flintlock pistol to her. She looked at the settlement and blinked to the side of one of the buildings, then carefully cocked the pistol and laid it on the ground, pointing it at the building. Once set, she blinked back to the group. “Okay, I’m going to cast a small fire spell on your pistol to set it off. That should get a few of them running here, behind the building, and we can take them down.”

“You’re a damn genius, sis,” Anna grinned broadly.

“Everyone ready?” All heads nodded, and Elsa tossed a small firebolt at the pistol, discharging it with a loud crack.

In seconds, not one or three but eighteen bandits came running out of the buildings to investigate. “Shit!” Elsa cursed, readying her magic, while Kristoff took aim and Sven’s hands glowed green, readying healing spells. “All right… let’s try to stay to the left side, and-”

“Let’s do this! ANNNNNNNA JAAAAAANSENNNNN!” her sister ran out, shield braced, sword raised high. Before the bandits could react, she whirled like a dervish, felling four of them in a deadly dance of steel.

Kristoff looked on in shock. “Did she…?”

Elsa nodded grimly. “She did.” The mage began flinging ice and frost at the attackers.

The hunter stood up from behind the wagon and opened fire, picking off three bandits that attempted to flank Anna, as Talriel cast spell after spell on Anna to ensure she didn’t suffer any serious harm, healing and regrowth spells binding any wounds instantly.

Despite their speed, the remaining eleven attackers had Anna surrounded, and were circling her with heavy arms ready. No matter which way she turned, she’d be jumped from behind and almost certainly overwhelmed and killed.

Elsa watched in horror as Anna found herself outnumbered and outmatched. Time slowed again, and her fear sank into her stomach. _Conceal, don’t feel… don’t…_ her father’s voice echoed in her mind. _Control your powers or you could end up hurting someone_ , his memory whispered to her.

_What if… I need to hurt someone?_ she wondered, looking at the bandits surrounding Anna, everyone frozen in time. One was about to lurch forward and attack. _What if I need my fear, my emotions, to protect my love?_ Fear melted like a late spring snowfall, draining away as it thawed. Runes danced in her mind, swirling like snow until they fit together like puzzle pieces, and she suddenly felt the urge to let her magic out, to let it go.

Elsa smirked, regarding the bandits as little more than nuisances, and reached into the air with her hands, magic pouring from her.

Anna froze.

Literally.

An ice block encased Anna, and the sky darkened above her.

Giant shards of ice the size of swords fell from the clouds and gusty winds surrounded her, freezing the bandits in place. The storm intensified, and within moments every bandit had been felled, many cut to pieces by the ice.

Elsa lowered her hands, dispelling the ice block around Anna, and collapsed against the side of the wagon, completely exhausted.

Anna looked around in shock - first at being encased in ice and being unable to move for what seemed like forever, and then seeing all her foes undone. She ran back to the wagon as soon as the ice faded to find her sister laying on the ground, exhausted from the effort.

“Elsa!” she cradled her sister’s unconscious form, tears flowing from her eyes. “Talriel, is she hurt? What happened?”

The druid shook his head, gently smiling. “She’s unharmed, Anna. She simply expended too much magic all at once. We all have a connection to the ether, to the magic force known as mana, and using it requires our own energy. She chose to save you by overextending herself. She’ll recover shortly, though it may take some time before she can cast a larger spell again.”

A few moments later, Elsa regained consciousness and struggled to sit up. “I… I’m all right. I’ll be all right,” she gasped. Talriel handed her a small vial of blue liquid which she drank readily. As soon as she finished it, color returned to her cheeks.

Anna choked back a sob of happiness and grabbed Elsa’s head, kissing her fully and deeply, threading her fingers through her sister’s hair. “I thought I’d lost you, sis,” she cried, hugging her so tightly that Elsa struggled for breath while Kristoff looked on, horrified.

He whispered to Talriel, “Uh, Sven, aren’t they… sisters?”

The druid rolled his eyes. “It’s Talriel, hunter boy, and yes, they’re sisters. What of it?”

“They’re SISTERS!” Kristoff sputtered, “They shouldn’t… be doing that… should they? Do Night Elves do that?”

“You humans are so short-sighted. Of course we do that. Until the fall of the world tree Nordrassil a few years ago, we were immortal. Our society is so old and storied that relationships among blood are quite common, boy,” the druid scoffed. “When you live forever, you eventually date everyone. Now, let’s get back to the matter at hand.”

Talriel cleared his throat loudly. “All that remains are the leaders in the main building. Your diversion brought out everyone else,” the druid chuckled, as the sisters remembered they weren’t alone. “Let us finish this business.”

The party ventured into the main building, expecting to find heavy resistance from the leaders, but heard nothing. They ascended the rickety wooden stairs until they reached what looked to be a large assembly room, like a church or town hall.

At the front, instead of two leaders ready to fight, stood a man with a red bandanna over his face, holding a knife to the throat of a woman with the same red bandanna covering. Elsa regarded the situation carefully; the man was clearly angry at the woman and was threatening her. She could barely make out the words, from the hoarseness of his shouting and the echoing from the wooden walls.

“I told you, bitch! This is all your fault! If you had killed those farmers like you were supposed to, none of this would be happening!” the man screamed.

“It’s not my fault, Hans! I followed your orders! I did everything you asked of me!” cried the woman.

The man pressed the woman against the wall, the blade beginning to bite against her neck. “I’m going to finish you, and then finish the job myself! I’ll throw your body with what’s left of your boy,” he sneered, then pulled back the hand with the knife in it to plunge it into her heart…

… and it froze. His entire forearm turned icy blue, then shattered as the sound of Kristoff’s rifle echoed in the room, shearing off the man’s hand and leaving an icy blue stump where the hand was. For a moment, he stupidly stared at what was left of his arm, and then he fell to the ground, dead, a dagger in his heart. Dark green veins spread over the rictus of his face, the poison on the dagger rapidly spreading throughout his body.

The woman stared in shock at the body of her former leader laying on the ground, at what she’d done to him with her dagger. Blood slowly dripped from the cut on her throat where the Defias leader had attacked her.

Anna carefully approached her, shield raised, sword aimed at her. “In the name of Stormwind and King Wrynn, I declare you our prisoner of war,” she continued. “Your cooperation will be rewarded. Escape or resistance will be punished,” she recited from memory, the warning given by all of Stormwind’s troops for prisoners of war.

“I surrender. I yield. Please don’t hurt me!” she cried, lifting her hands in the air.

Anna looked closely at the woman. Something about her seemed familiar. In a moment of impulse, she sheathed her sword and pulled gently on the bandanna, revealing the mysterious woman at the Sentinel Hill tavern. “You! Uh… Katal! That was what he called you, wasn’t it?” she exclaimed, pointing at the corpse on the ground.

The woman nodded before falling to her knees. “Please, spare my life! I… I know I’ve done terrible things, committed terrible crimes, but I had no choice! Please, I beg for mercy in King Wrynn’s name, don’t execute me!”

Anna looked at her sister, who gave a silent nod, then knelt down next to the woman, shield in front of her just in case. “Explain yourself, and we will see, Katal.”

“That- that isn’t my name,” she sniffled. “My name… my name in Common is Honeymaren. My people are descended from the vrykul of Northrend.” She clutched at her throat, her wound making her wince.

Anna gestured to Talriel. “Would you mind? Since she’s now a prisoner of war, she’s entitled to humane treatment under Alliance laws.” The druid gave a small smile and cast regrowth on Honeymaren, her wounds sealing up instantly.

“Now, explain yourself,” asked Elsa, firmly but quietly.

Honeymaren took a deep breath. “I grew up as a hunter in my people’s village. We are called the children of the fog, because of our abilities to vanish and stay hidden. That was my special talent and skill. Five years ago, pirates raided our village, killing our men and capturing the women and children, like me and my young son, Ryder. They brought us to Booty Bay, where we were sold off or bartered. That’s how I found myself in the service of the Defias Brotherhood. This…”, she kicked the corpse of their leader, “was Hans Ashvane. He’s a prince of some kind from some southern isle - Kul Tiras, I think. He bought me and Ryder and pressed me into service.”

Tears began to fall from her dark brown eyes. “Early on, I tried to escape with him, but Ashvane threatened to kill my son if I did, so I stayed and obeyed him. I kept trying to find a way out, but… I never did.” She began to sob. “My boy… died… two days ago, worked to death in the Deadmines. This was going to be the last job, the last mission, and then I was going to get us out one way or another, even if the Defias put a price on my head. Even though…”

“You have no place to go. That’s why you didn’t kill our mother or the other farmers,” Elsa murmured.

Honeymaren shook her head as she curled up into herself, hugging her knees. “I- I used the least amount of poison I could, so that it would stun instead of kill, and I made sure to avoid anything crippling or killing. I had to make it look convincing, otherwise Ashvane would have had me killed too. But I… I couldn’t destroy any more families like Ashvane destroyed mine.”

“Thank you,” Elsa murmured, pulling Honeymaren into a gentle hug. “You chose mercy when you didn’t have to. Is… is there an antidote to the poison?”

“There is,” Honeymaren nodded. “Mageroyal will speed healing back up, and lichbloom from my homeland will counteract the healing dampening of the bloodvine.”

Elsa stood up, lifting Honeymaren to her feet. “All right. We need to get back to Dalaran to get the antidote for our mother. You’re coming with us, and we’ll figure out what to do after Mama is healed.”

Honeymaren shrugged listlessly, the adrenaline rush having faded. “I have nothing left to live for now, so… it doesn’t really matter what happens to me. I would rather spend my years in a Stormwind prison than looking over my shoulder for the Defias to fulfill a vendetta against me for… this,” she sighed, gesturing at the carnage.

Kristoff cleared his throat awkwardly. “Uh… listen, this has been fun and all but… I’m, uh… I’m going to just find my way back to Redridge now. I’m glad we were able to find the antidote and everything so… yeah.” The hunter awkwardly walked out of the building, nearly falling down the stairs.

Elsa quirked an eyebrow at her sister, who ran after him outside.

“Hey! Hey, Kristoff! What gives?”

Kristoff looked slightly green. “Uh… look. During the… the battle? When you came back and your sister was out cold? You uh… you kind of really kissed her. Like… romantic kissed her. That’s really- I mean, that’s, umm… that made me uncomfortable,” he said, staring at his feet. “So I’m just… gonna go, okay? It’s been… yeah.”

Anna shrugged. “I get it. It’s… we’re a little unconventional. I’m sorry if that made you feel bad. Well, thank you for your help with everything.” She handed him a small coin pouch filled with silver and a few gold coins that she’d taken off the fallen Defias. “For your help,” she said with a smile.

“Thanks. I’ll definitely make use of it, maybe to buy an actual hunting companion instead of… a druid…” he blushed, embarrassed. “A druid who… yeah. I guess I did pat him on the rump an awful lot.”

Anna snickered and gave him an awkward hug. “Good luck, Kristoff.” She headed back inside the building as the hunter walked down the dusty road. Inside, Elsa had cast a portal back to Dalaran, and Anna clasped hands with her sister as they jumped through.

* * *

## Author’s Notes

Hans always dies :)

For those who don't play World of Warcraft, the part where Anna screams her own name is a nod to a famous meme from the game early on, the Leeroy Jenkins meme, in which a player runs recklessly into a dungeon shouting his own name, only to cause complete chaos and wipe his party. Fortunately, Anna's effort was more successful.

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### The Usual Disclaimer

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	7. Unashamed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What could she say that was truthful but also wouldn’t condemn Honeymaren to the Stockades for years, if not threaten her with summary execution for treason against the crown?

## Sisters of Westfall, Part 7: Unashamed

_Dalaran_

As soon as they emerged from the portal in Runeweaver Square, Elsa and Anna ran for the infirmary with Talriel and Honeymaren in tow. Oliserra watched with amusement as the party came crashing in, almost stuck together in the doorway.

“I trust you had some success, Apprentice Jansen?” the high elf smiled, a twinkle in her eye.

“We did! This… is Honeymaren. She has some… uhh, experience with the poison in question,” gasped Elsa as she caught her breath from running halfway across the city. Even with her blink spell, Anna and Honeymaren had managed to outrun her, and Talriel in his stag form was fastest of all.

Honeymaren stepped forward, her eyes downcast. “This poison is native to Northrend, to the vrykul. To counteract it, you will need two parts mageroyal to one part lichbloom, steeped in a tonic,” she offered, writing down the procedure on a piece of parchment.

Oliserra brought her palm to her face. “Of course! Lichbloom - why didn’t I think of that? It’s not like we don’t have bottles and bottles of it here,” she laughed, pointing at the apothecary shelves stuffed with different herbs from around Azeroth. “I’ll get started; I believe you should see your master, Apprentice Jansen.”

Elsa nodded in agreement. “Anna, why don’t you stay here with Mama, Honeymaren, and Talriel. I’ll go visit the Archmage,” she said.

“And I shall take my leave of you now as well, Apprentice Elsa Jansen of the Kirin Tor. You have my thanks again for freeing me, and I have these bloodvine seeds to bring back to the Cenarion Circle,” Talriel rumbled. “It’s fair to say it will bring me quite some distinction, so I shall remain in your debt.”

Elsa hugged the Night Elf. “Thank you, Talriel. Your debt of honor is fully settled, and I wish you the best. Try… not to get too near trolls again, all right?” she giggled, “And maybe human hunters!”

Talriel gave her a long look before bursting out laughing. “I shall indeed, Elsa Jansen. Should you ever find your way to Mount Hyjal, seek out the Cenarion Circle there and we shall reward you in some way.” The druid shapeshifted into his stag form and bounding out the door.

A quarter hour later, Elsa walked in the doors of the Violet Citadel, a massive, imposing tower in the corner of the city. Elandra appeared out of thin air, teleporting into the foyer as her magic lit up the deep blue crystals inlaid in the floor. “Apprentice Jansen, I trust you were successful in your quest?”

Elsa nodded, excited. For the first time since she’d become a novice, she felt like she belonged here. She’d always felt inferior, almost an imposter compared to the power of the magi who ran the Kirin Tor, but after her adventures, she felt as though she’d earned her small place within the order. She was worthy to set foot in these halls as a mage.

“I was, Archmage. We found the bandits who raided the farms in Westfall and the assassin whose poison coated the blades,” Elsa said as she bowed before her teacher.

Elandra inclined her head with approval. “You did well, Apprentice Jansen. And I suspect you learned quite a bit more about your own magic in the process. I can feel the arcane energy dancing around you. For now, however, we have another matter to attend to.”

Elandra thumped her staff on the crystal floor, making it ring like a wind chime. Five other archmages teleported into the room. “Apprentice Elsa Jansen, you have rendered great service to the Cenarion Circle, the Order of the Pathstalkers, and the Kingdom of Stormwind. In recognition of this service, and your obvious aptitude for magic far above your station, the Council of Archmagi hereby names you Adept of the Kirin Tor. Step into your power.”

Arcane energy filled the room as each mage infused Elsa with a cast of Arcane Intellect, signaling their approval of the new mage. Elsa’s head spun with the infusion of power, crystals of arcane energy swirling around her, embroidering her robes with new crystalline patterns. Her heart sang as her mind expanded, connecting with her power in entirely new ways. “Thank you, Archmage!” she cried with tears of joy. “I- I couldn’t have done it without your guidance!”

“You are strong in the arcane, Adept Jansen, but your heart belongs to the frost. As an adept, you will continue your studies in Dalaran, but will go out into the world more often as you grow yourself and your skills into a full-fledged conjuror,” Elandra pronounced to the room with a sweeping gesture of her arm. “You are familiar with the privileges of an adept?”

Elsa grinned and nodded vigorously. Since coming to Dalaran, she’d envied, as many a novice and apprentice had, the freedom adepts had. They only needed to report to their archmages monthly, or when they needed assistance with a particular challenge. More of the library was open to them. They were permitted to learn more complex spells. And most important, they were free to come and go via teleportation without needing permission.

“Now go forth, Adept Jansen, and take your family home. I believe Oliserra should be about done with your mother,” Elandra kindly dismissed her new adept.

Elsa practically floated with joy on the way back to the infirmary. The infusion of arcane power the council had given her opened her eyes to all the spells and magic floating in the air around her. She could see the powerful spellwards protecting the city in much greater clarity, feel the dull thrum of arcane energy being used and summoned everywhere around her.

“Mama!” she shouted as she walked into the infirmary. Iduna was sitting upright in the bed, looking much healthier. The color had returned to her skin and the pale greenish tinge had left her, though dark circles still remained under her eyes. Anna and Honeymaren sat next to her, the redhead holding her mother’s hand.

“Elsa,” Iduna offered a tired smile, “I understand it is in part due to your efforts that I’m back among the living?” She leaned forward to pull Elsa into a tight, warm hug.

“We did it together, Mama,” Elsa smiled, clasping Anna’s hand and joining it with her mother’s. “It was a group effort, but we did it.”

Iduna relaxed against the pile of pillows and yawned. “Well, I am very grateful to all of you, then, for the lengths you went for your poor old mother. When we get home, you’ll need to tell me the whole story.”

Oliserra wandered over and took Iduna’s pulse. “Speaking of home, Mrs. Jansen, you should be able to leave when you feel ready. The last of the poison has been dispelled from you, and the mageroyal has accelerated the remaining healing that needed to be done. You’ll still need rest, so take it easy for the next few days, but there should be no permanent ill effects.” Oliserra looked at Elsa’s robes with approval. “ADEPT Jansen,” she said, emphasizing Elsa’s new title, “you and your family are free to return to Westfall at your leisure.”

Elsa bowed as Anna did a double-take, noticing the new violet embroidery on Elsa’s robes. “Thank you, Master Oliserra. I’ll be back in a little while, just enough time to get my mother settled in and take care of a few things.”

“Adept?” Anna practically shouted. “When did that happen? Did that just happen? Did the Archmagi finally realize your brilliance?”

Elsa blushed. “Y-yes. Just now, Archmage Elandra and the council conferred it on me.”

Anna leaped on her sister, pulling her into a crushing hug and, mindful of her mother watching, kissing Elsa on the cheek. “I’m so proud of you, sis! Let’s get home so we can celebrate!”

* * *

Half a day later, Anna, Elsa, and Honeymaren stood before Knight-Captain Danuvin on Sentinel Hill. After getting Iduna settled back into her house and cleaning up the mess left behind by the battle, Honeymaren, overcome with shame, had asked to face judgement for her crimes. Anna had put on her cadet’s armor and tabard, and walked back down to Sentinel Hill with the two women.

“Knight-Cadet Jansen,” Danuvin sighed heavily, looking up from the paperwork strewn all over his desk. “Please tell me you have something more interesting for me than supply requisition paperwork.”

Anna saluted. “Yes sir, I do, sir. My sister and I, with some help from a few friends, have taken care of the bandits in Moonbrook.” She opened her satchel and placed 20 red bandannas on the table.

Danuvin raised an eyebrow as he counted the masks. Westfall for years had placed bounties on the Defias, their distinct red color and pattern as good as proof that an adventurer had managed to kill a member of the bandit gang. “This… this is twenty Defias masks, Knight-Cadet. How in the Light did you manage twenty Defias bandits?”

“I had a lot of help,” Anna grinned, looking at Elsa.

“I see. And who is this?” he asked, pointing his pen at Honeymaren.

“This… is a prisoner of war,” Anna breathed. “I captured her in our attack on the Defias bandits.”

“My, my, Knight-Cadet. You’ve been busy indeed.” Danuvin motioned, and two guards stepped forward, manacles in their hands.

“WAIT! Sir, there are extenuating circumstances. She was coerced into helping because the Defias held her son hostage,” Anna urged, sudden concern overwhelming her. She knew what the penalties for taking up arms against the crown were, and while Honeymaren may have hurt her loved ones, she didn’t do so out of malice. _Justice. Justice is the fourth virtue. Is condemning Honeymaren to life in prison just?_ she asked herself.

“Knight-Cadet, atonement or not, the law is the law. This woman must be placed under arrest and tried,” Danuvin said, motioning the guards forward again. “You claim she is a prisoner of war. What crimes do you charge her with?”

Anna froze momentarily as she thought through all she’d learned in her training about Stormwind’s laws. What could she say that was truthful but also wouldn’t condemn Honeymaren to the Stockades for years, if not threaten her with summary execution for treason against the crown? An idea sparked in her mind; she had no direct proof that Honeymaren had stabbed her mother. Neither she nor Elsa had witnessed the act directly. “I… found her in the presence of the Defias, held at knifepoint by their leader, wearing this mask.”

“I see,” Danuvin said, looking over his shoulder as he saw the leader of Sentinel Hill, Marshal Stoutmantle, emerge from the tower dressed in his finest gold and steel armor, looking every bit the part of the great veteran war hero he was. “So she is a member of the Defias bandits, but you offer no other proof or claim of crime beyond that. That is the statement you make?”

Honeymaren stared at Anna, speechless, her expression one of pure shock. She was certain Anna would tell the whole truth, that it was her dagger and her poison that nearly killed her mother and several other farmers. Why would Anna conceal the truth for her benefit?

Anna continued. “Yes sir. I did not witness any other crimes firsthand. But I would ask clemency for her, Captain. Once she was freed from the Defias gang, she did the right thing. She was coerced into cooperating with the Defias.”

Marshal Stoutmantle spoke up. “Knight-Cadet, wouldn’t it have been easier to not bring her here at all? You said beyond being in the presence of the Defias and being dressed like them, she has done nothing else that you know of, so instead of involving the kingdom and creating more paperwork for poor Captain Danuvin here, you could have just let it slide?”

Anna blinked. “I- I could not sir. We pledged to courage, honor, courtesy, j-justice, and compassion. I… I declared in front of witnesses that she was my prisoner when we first captured her, so I have to honor my words. But you speak correctly otherwise, sir. I have no other proof to offer beyond what I witnessed.”

Stoutmantle rubbed his grey beard, lost in thought for a few moments. “Knight-Cadet, you’ll learn in the field that sometimes, the letter and the spirit of the law don’t always agree. King Anduin has made it clear that when we must choose, we should choose the spirit and be guided by the Light.” He cleared his throat and announced in his command voice, “By order of the Kingdom of Stormwind, this prisoner is put on probation for her crime of association with the Defias bandits. Should she break the laws of the kingdom again, the penalties for her transgression shall be doubled. I remand her to the custody of the injured family to make amends privately. For Stormwind! For the Alliance!”

The soldiers nearby all raised their fists and shouted the same oath before returning to their duties, while Honeymaren alternated staring at Anna and Marshal Stoutmantle before quietly crying into her hands, relieved at being spared.

“There’s just one other thing, Knight-Cadet,” Stoutmantle rumbled. “Danuvin, this is one of yours?”

Knight-Captain Danuvin nodded. “This is Knight-Cadet Jansen. She’s in the fourth year cohort right now.”

“Twenty Defias?” Stoutmantle chuckled.

“Yes, Marshal.”

“And she asked clemency for her prisoner?”

“Yes, Marshal.” Danuvin rolled his eyes, thinking of the amount of paperwork that was coming next.

Stoutmantle clapped Danuvin on the shoulder, their armor clanging together. “Well, Danuvin, I spared you the paperwork of prisoner transfer, but I’m going to make some different paperwork for you instead.” He drew his sword. “Knight-Cadet Jansen, kneel.”

Anna looked in shock, taking a knee before the Marshal, while Elsa beamed with pride, knowing what was about to happen.

“For your service to the Kingdom of Stormwind and your elimination of no less than twenty Defias bandits, and your strict adherence to your pledge of courage, honor, courtesy, justice, and compassion, I hereby name you a Knight of Stormwind.” Stoutmantle tapped the blade on each shoulder of Anna’s armor and then on the crown of her head. “Rise, and declare yourself, Knight Jansen.”

Anna flushed with pride, barely remembering the words of the Knight’s Oath. Her face colored and her hands shook as she stood, holding her sword in front of her and imagining her father watching this moment.

“I swear fealty to the Crown of Stormwind. I place my faith in the Light, serve my Kingdom with courage, live and die by honor, show courtesy to all citizens of the Kingdom, fight for justice, and extend compassion to all, in the name of King Anduin Wrynn. This I swear before the Light. For Stormwind! For the Alliance!”

All present raised their fists and shouted the same, then clapped and cheered for Anna’s knighting, none louder than Elsa. Even Honeymaren, broken free of her daze, clapped along.

Captain Danuvin dug out a clipboard and sighed, sifting through stacks of papers for cadet graduation paperwork.

* * *

That evening, the three women sat around the table at the Westfall Inn. Heather stopped by, and as was tradition, poured a tankard of ale over Anna’s head to welcome her in the service of Stormwind, much to the boisterous cheering of the patrons.

After she dried off, Anna took a sip of her Barleybrew and looked around the room with a laugh. “Who would have thought that this crazy adventure all started here?”

“I know, right?” Elsa smiled, sipping a glass of Dalaran red wine. “You got knighted, I was made an adept… we rescued a druid, solved a mystery that rogues were searching for, rescued a hostage of sorts, and took on the Defias. That’s quite a list for a few days of adventuring.”

“OH!” Anna gasped, spilling a little of her beer, which Honeymaren had to dodge. “You’re an adept now, Elsa! You can teleport wherever and whenever you like!”

Elsa regarded her sister carefully. “Yes… I can.” She pinched the bridge of her nose, remembering the conversation she’d had with Anna a few days ago.

“Stonefire Tavern! In Ironforge! Elsa, you have to take me there! I’ve heard they have the best beer in all of the Eastern Kingdoms!” Anna said excitedly, practically jumping out of her seat.

“Shh! Keep your voice down, Anna,” Elsa gently scolded. “Maybe, okay?” Elsa looked at Honeymaren, who was staring silently into the untouched Shimmer Stout. “And what about you, Honeymaren? Now that you’re free of the Defias and not under arrest by the Kingdom, what will you do next?”

Honeymaren fixed her gaze on her drink as she spoke softly. “The Marshal made it quite clear I am indentured to your family to make amends for what I’ve done,” she sighed. “It would seem I have traded one kind of servitude for another.”

“What? No!” Anna squawked in disbelief. “You’re not our servant. Marshal Stoutmantle just said that you’ll figure out how to make amends, that’s all. The Alliance forbids slavery and involuntary servitude of all kinds. You’re a free woman!”

A tear pooled in Honeymaren’s eye. “Free? Free to do what, Anna? I lost my boy. I lost my home, my family, my village. There’s nothing for me any more in this world. I don’t even know where I’ll go. And the things I’ve done… I’m still so ashamed of myself, no matter what you said to your Marshal. We both know the truth, the whole truth.”

“Hey, hey…” Anna said, covering Honeymaren’s hand. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of. Look - you, you’re welcome to stay at our farm for as long as you need - NOT as a servant - while you figure things out. And if - IF! - you feel like helping out, we can certainly pay you. Now that I’m a knight, I can help Mama with the bills on my stipend and we can afford to pay you to help out.”

Elsa nodded in agreement. “I can help out too, now that I can come home any time I want. Adepts don’t make much of a stipend, but we can start going out in the world and earning a living as mages.”

Tears, equal parts sorrow and gratitude, ran down Honeymaren’s cheeks. “A-all right. Just for a little while, I don’t want to be a burden to your family.” Both sisters hugged her tightly as she let out the pain she’d been holding onto.

“Then it’s settled. Let’s seal it with a toast, shall we?” said Anna, holding up her beer stein.

* * *

The women arrived back at the Jansen stead, carefully opening the door in the candlelit house. Iduna was sitting quietly in her armchair near the hearth, reading.

“Mama! We thought you might have gone to bed already,” Elsa said softly, sitting on the couch across from her mother with Honeymaren on the far end of the couch.

“Mm. I took a nap earlier while you were out. It reminded me of when your father would head down to the tavern for an officer’s night,” she smiled, her eyes quickly flitting to the painting over the fireplace. “How was the Inn?”

Anna grinned. “Other than having a beer poured over me, it was great.”

“A beer? Who would have done such a thing?” Iduna asked, mildly concerned.

Elsa facepalmed. “Anna, she doesn’t know!”

“Oh! OH! I- it’s been such a crazy day, yeah. So, Mama, guess what?” Anna beamed.

Iduna quirked an eyebrow, waiting for an answer.

“I got knighted today!” Anna squealed, jumping up and down. “I finally did it, and I didn’t even have to sit before a board!”

“Oh, my baby girl, I’m so proud of you.” Iduna rose from her chair to hug Anna and ran her fingers through the auburn hair. “Your father would be so proud of you, too. Becoming a full knight at only 20 years old! This has been quite a day, with Elsa becoming an adept as well.” She motioned for Elsa to join the hug, and for a long moment, they savored the successes of the day.

Iduna broke away from the hug to look at Honeymaren, who was watching the family gathering with a mixture of happiness and sorrow. “So… I’m not sure what to say. On the one hand, you did stab me in the back, but on the other hand, my daughters tell me you helped to save me as well.”

Honeymaren nodded softly. “I… I was forced to do many things I deeply regret.” She took almost half an hour to tell her story to Iduna, the two mothers finding much common ground and sharing many tears while Elsa and Anna prepared a light evening supper in the kitchen, giving the women as much privacy as a small house permitted. By the time the sisters peeked back in at the two women, they were amused to find them squeezed together on the couch.

“I… understand,” Iduna murmured. “I would do anything for my children, too, so I forgive you for your role in this adventure.”

“Thank you, Mrs. Jansen.”

“Please, Honeymaren, call me Iduna. You’re barely two years younger than I am! Calling me Mrs. Jansen makes me feel positively ancient,” she laughed, her hand lightly caressing Honeymaren’s shoulder.

“Very well… Iduna. Is… is there a stable or barn?”

Iduna looked confused. “Yes, we’ve both, though there’s not much in the stable at the moment, just my horse. Anna tends to walk everywhere and Elsa just… magically appears. Why?”

Honeymaren stood up and looked out the window to the darkened fields. “I need a place to sleep, and your daughters said I could stay on the farm while I figured things out so… I’ll make use of the stable. It should be comfortable enough, certainly better than my accommodations in the Deadmines.”

“Absolutely not!” snapped Iduna, rising from the couch. “You are our guest, and I will not have you sleeping like an animal in a stable. We don’t have a large home, but we can make room.”

Anna leaned her head in from the kitchen. “Totally! Elsa can sleep in my room, and Honeymaren can have Elsa’s old room!” Behind her, out of sight, Elsa snickered and ran her fingers gently down Anna’s spine as her sister tried to casually swatted her hand away.

“Then it’s settled. You’ll stay here as a proper guest, Honeymaren,” Iduna said firmly, pulling Honeymaren into a hug. “Welcome to our home.”

* * *

## Author’s Notes

And so we wrap up this tale for Elsanna Week 2021. Thank you for reading it! There will be an epilogue at some point, once I figure out the last few threads I want to wrap up, but I hope you enjoyed it and every submission for Elsanna Week 2021!

### Join The Party

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### The Usual Disclaimer

Disney owns all of its characters and intellectual property. Blizzard owns all of its characters and intellectual property. No infringement is intended, nor is this work commercial in any way.


	8. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I... in Helya's name, I've been making love to my own sister!"

## Sisters of Westfall, Epilogue

_Westfall, one year later_

Honeymaren looked out the kitchen window as the portal from Dalaran opened in the middle of the cornfield as it always did. Elsa emerged with a giant sack, carrying her staff and wearing brilliant blue adept’s robes as Anna hurtled across the field to greet her.

“Finally gotten used to it?” Iduna asked, putting her arm around Honeymaren’s waist.

“I still don’t know how YOU got used to it,” Honeymaren said, watching the sisters passionately kiss each other in the middle of the field, bathed in the golden light of the setting sun. “My people were very open minded, but I can’t think of anyone who had this kind of relationship.”

Iduna laughed. “I never would have thought I would have fallen for a bandit, either,” she giggled, kissing Honeymaren on the cheek and looking at her daughters out the window. “They’re happy together, it’s not forbidden under the laws of the Kingdom, and I’d rather them find love in each other than force themselves to be something they aren’t.”

“I…” Honeymaren started, choking back small sobs, “I suppose I would have felt the same if Ryder… had grown up… and fallen in love with someone… not traditional.”

Iduna pulled her into a tight hug. “Shh, it’s okay, love. It’s okay,” she comforted, rubbing her hands gently up and down Honeymaren’s back. “I understand.”

Honeymaren turned her face into Iduna’s shoulder as her tears slowed. “I’m sorry, I should… it’s been so long now. I’m sorry.”

Iduna wove her fingers through Honeymaren’s hair. “There’s nothing to be sorry for, and it’s only been a year, sweetheart. I still miss Agnar, and it’s been over a decade. Remember what I always say?”

“Where there is deep grief, there was great love,” Honeymaren murmured. “I… it’s not the same, but I am so glad I have you in my life, Iduna.”

“As am I… even if our first meeting was a little… pointed,” she joked, covering her mouth with her hand to hold in her laughter while Honeymaren glared at her until breaking down and embracing her lover.

The front door burst open as the sisters came in, like twin tornados. “Hi Mama, Hi Auntie,” Elsa said, grinning.

“Auntie?” Honeymaren gasped, pressing a hand to her breast in surprise. “When did I become Auntie?”

“We needed something to call you besides Mama’s squeeze,” giggled Anna as she ran past. “Though we can call you that if you want!”

Iduna struggled to contain her laughter as Honeymaren opened and closed her mouth soundlessly for a few moments before finding words again. “Auntie… Auntie will do fine, I suppose. You’re the closest thing I have to family now.”

Anna heaved the large burlap sack on the brand new dining room table. In addition to being a skilled rogue, Honeymaren was also quite handy around the house and like many Kvaldir, was a talented woodworker. In the year that had passed, she’d fixed up much of the aging furniture around the home or outright built new furniture for Iduna.

Anna opened the sack, pulling out every manner of food from it, squealing in delight. “Mama! Elsa went to Ironforge and brought back food from Brewfest!” She pulled out countless types of sausage, pretzels and breads, and piles of different, exotic cheeses. Anna’s eyes bulged as her mouth watered; Elsa had even managed to carry a pony keg of Stormstout Brew back with her.

The women all began organizing the goods and preparing for an afternoon meal with the dizzying array of food. Iduna sent the girls out to clean and prepare root vegetables while she and Honeymaren prepared cheese fondue for the pretzels. She started humming a little tune as she cut up some Alterac Swiss into cubes while Honeymaren cut up some Dalaran Sharp.

“Iduna…” Honeymaren said softly, pausing in her task. “Where did you learn that song?”

“What? Oh, you mean what I was humming? It’s from when I was a little girl. I don’t remember where I learned it; it’s just stuck with me over the years,” she said, brushing some of her brown and grey hair behind her ear. “There are words to it, too.” Iduna cleared her throat. “Where the north wind meets the sea-”

“There’s a river full of memory. Sleep my darling, safe and sound, for in this river all is found…” Honeymaren completed the verse, as Iduna stood shocked.

“How… how did you know that song?” Iduna asked, still stunned. She’d not heard the song since she was a child and had never heard it since.

Honeymaren put down her block of cheese and walked over to Iduna, clasping her shoulder. “It’s a Kvaldir song, Iduna. From my people’s village. I… how in the world did you learn it? It’s not something we would have taught to an outsider.”

“I… I don’t remember. I thought it was something I’d heard growing up.”

“Iduna… where were you born? You said you’re from Stormwind, but were you born in Stormwind?”

Iduna shook her head. “No… I was an orphan. I was a ward of the Kingdom, looked after by Matron Nightingale at the orphanage in Stormwind until the Davenport family took me in. I grew up in Redridge, two provinces over, until I met Agnar and married him.” She smiled fondly at the memories washing over her. “Agnar was stationed near the border of Duskwood and would come into the tavern in Lakeshire at the end of his shifts. I was working as a waitress there, and I caught his eye.”

“So you have no memory of your family?”

“Not my original family, no. Matron Nightingale said I was just dropped off one day by soldiers. It happened a lot during the wars. All I remember are the Davenports. Maybe that’s where I heard the song? I’ve got a few books from my youth in the sitting room,” Iduna said. She dusted off her hands and walked into the living room, Honeymaren close behind. On one of the bookshelves, she pulled down books she’d kept from her childhood and leafed through them.

Elsa and Anna came back into the house, bearing buckets of potatoes and carrots. Anna looked with confusion at the women in the sitting room, digging through books. “Mama… what’s going on?”

“We’re trying to figure out where the nursery song is from,” Iduna mumbled as she leafed through the pages of a tome her adoptive mother had given her on child-rearing, shaking her head.

“The one about the river full of memory?” Elsa asked.

Honeymaren looked up at her. “You know it too?”

Elsa nodded. “Mama used to sing it to us when we were little,” she chuckled at the memory. “Anna falls asleep almost the moment she hears it, even today.”

Anna swatted Elsa on the forearm. “You’re not supposed to tell people that, you stinker!”

After fifteen minutes of digging with everyone helping, they were no closer to any answers. Finally, Elsa reached up to the top of the bookshelf and found an old leather tome covered in dust. “What’s this, Mama?”

“Oh… that… that’s your grandfather’s journal,” Iduna said with a scowl. Honeymaren gave her a quizzical look. “Agnar and his father weren’t on good terms; Runeard was a… well, he didn’t approve of our marriage because I was poor.” She dusted off the cover, revealing cracked leather, a faded crest of Lordaeron embossed in it, and an ornate lock. “I’ve never opened this in all the years we’ve had it, even after Agnar… didn’t come home. I wouldn’t even know how to.”

Honeymaren gave a small smile. “My rogue days may be over, but I still remember a few things.” She looked carefully at the lock, then went to the kitchen for a small knife and a few pins. Within moments, she’d easily picked the lock open.

The women scrunched together on the couch, Iduna and Honeymaren in the middle, Elsa and Anna on either side, as Iduna opened the mysterious tome, the parchment smelling as old as it looked. Inside were charts, maps, rosters, and everything one would expect of a military commander. They flipped a few pages, found the journal part, and started reading.

_January 7_

_We have sailed past a series of islands far north of Lordaeron. After being at sea for nearly a week, we’ve come across what I can only describe as a savage, hostile land. The cold here is like nothing I’ve ever felt - it cuts through your clothing like a knife. We have spotted what appear to be bipedal walrus-like creatures along the coastline, but have not approached closely yet._

“That sounds like Northrend and the Tuskarr,” Honeymaren mused. “They’re all along the southern beaches of Northrend, coast to coast. Some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet.”

They continued flipping through pages.

_January 23_

_We have made landfall in what appears to be a frozen land that’s also volcanic. There’s ice and snow as far as the eye can see, but also hot springs, geysers, and the smell of sulphur in the air. I’ve dispatched a scouting group to see what resources might be available to us._

Honeymaren’s expression darkened. Iduna took her hand gently. “What is it, love?”

“The… for years, explorers and adventurers have come to Northrend in search of fame, excitement, adventure, treasure… slaves. You name it, people have attempted to exploit it from our lands. Thankfully, the continent is so inhospitable that many of the adventurers do not survive, but it is still… infuriating… to read about how callously they think of my people’s land, as though they were promised it somehow.” Honeymaren tightened her grip on Iduna’s hand briefly. “It’s not your fault, what your husband’s father did or said. It’s just… difficult to hear.”

Iduna made a motion to close the book, but her lover stilled her hand. “I’m all right, Iduna.”

_February 17_

_We lost over half our landing party today after our excursion to one of the native villages ended in disaster. We approached bearing items for trade, but one of my Knights was easily spooked and shot a villager who raised a spear at him. A skirmish ensued, and we retreated as quickly as we could. Tomorrow I shall lead a larger landing party to retrieve our dead and confront the villagers._

“Does this sound familiar at all, Honeymaren?” Anna asked softly, tears welling in her eyes at the horror of the story and the sins committed by her own family.

Honeymaren nodded. “It’s a tale told all too often. These specific events, no, but many like this have happened over the years. The pirates that kidnapped me and my son behaved similarly, except that their intentions were clear from the beginning.”

_March 2_

_We are preparing to depart for Lordaeron. After negotiating with the villagers, we secured some small trade and leave in peace despite the rocky start. Our chief engineer, Fizzwhistle, brought one of his Gnomish inventions along to commemorate the moment, some dastardly device that captures our likenesses on parchment. I have taken this ‘photograph’ as he calls it and appended it to my notes._

A small square of paper fell from the journal; Iduna reached down to retrieve it. In it, several Lordaeron soldiers posed stoically, along with many of the villagers - men, women, and children.

Honeymaren gasped. “This… this is my village! This here, this woman, that’s my mother, Yelena!” She stared closely at the grainy black and white photo, seeing her mother along with two children, a toddler wrapped in a dark shawl and a baby. She froze, her finger gently touching the photo.

“What is it, love?” Iduna asked, rubbing Honeymaren’s shoulder.

“This… I… look, Iduna. Look carefully. Look at my mother,” Honeymaren whispered.

Iduna squinted at the photo. “I see her and two children. Which one is you?”

“I’m the baby, swaddled in the light-colored cloth. There’s another child. Iduna… I never had a sibling growing up. Mother said I was an only child,” she breathed, barely able to believe her eyes. Honeymaren thought back to her childhood and never remembered any kind of sibling. Cousins, friends, plenty of other kids to play with, but not a sibling. Family was everything to the Kvaldir.

Anna and Elsa passed the photo back and forth to each other as Iduna flipped the page in the journal.

_March 4_

_After a day of hunting around the ships, we finally found the source of the wailing that had spooked my men, fearing that sirens were coming to claim them, or the naga, or whatever other superstitious nonsense they believe. It turns out that a small child somehow snuck aboard our ships before we departed the village. We are five days away from Lordaeron, and we have plenty of rations, so we will keep the child alive and turn it over to an orphanage when we return home._

Iduna turned the page, her hand shaking.

_March 8_

_A monstrous storm has knocked us badly off course the last two days. We barely survived, fearing we would be knocked into the Maelstrom by it, but we were able to avert disaster. We look to be just off the coast of Stormwind. Thankfully, King Terenas is on good terms with King Llane, so we should be able to repair and resupply._

Elsa lit candles to illuminate the darkening room as they read on.

_March 16_

_We have made full repairs and are now making the long, two-week journey back to Lordaeron. We’ve sent word by gryphon to Lordaeron so that the crown does not think us lost or worse, derelict in our duties. The men are much more settled now; leaving the child in Stormwind’s orphanage has made the superstitious among them feel better, as they believe the presence of any woman, of any age, is a curse on their ship._

Anna looked as though she’d seen a ghost and left the room for her bedroom, while Iduna closed the book and sat back, putting an arm around Honeymaren. “What… what do you think all this means, love?” she asked.

Honeymaren shook her head. “I… I don’t know. I am still shocked by the photo.”

Elsa looked around the corner to see Anna coming back from her room, carrying what looked like a blanket with her. She started at the realization - she’d had the blanket when she was a little girl, and then given it to her sister when she was old enough to not just chew on it.

“Mama…” Anna almost whispered, her voice raspy, hands shaking as she held out the blanket. “Look.”

Iduna took the blanket carefully, confused. “What am I looking at, Anna?”

Anna picked up the photo and put it on the table in front of them, then unfolded the blanket, a royal purple-colored shawl with diamond patterns embroidered all over it.

Honeymaren took the cloth between her fingers. “This… this pattern is something my mother wove into her textiles. She embroidered this on everything, said it was something to do with the elemental spirits of Azeroth. How… how do you have this, Anna?”

“Mama gave it to us… Auntie.” Anna picked up the photo again, her fingers trembling. “Do you see it now? The blanket wrapped around the toddler is the same. You can make out the diamond patterns in the photo…”

Time stood still once more. No one dared even breathe as the realization sank in.

“You… you’re my sister,” whispered Iduna, as fat tears gathered in her eyes. “…I have a sister…”

Honeymaren paled, her tan skin sallow. “I… in Helya’s name, I’ve been making love to my own sister!” She stood up abruptly and fled the room, leaving the Jansen women staring in shock.

After a few moments, Anna stood up, hugging her teary-eyed mother. “I’ll go find her. It’ll be all right, Mama.”

“Want me to come along?” asked her sister, concerned.

Anna smiled. “Sure. We know a thing or two about sisters loving each other.”

* * *

The sisters found Honeymaren inside the stables a little while later, soft sobbing coming from the furthest stall. Elsa cast a glimmer, shining soft blue light in the darkened barn space from a floating ice crystal.

Honeymaren lay curled up in a ball atop a few straw bales. As she heard the footsteps approaching, she sat up and pulled out a small kitchen knife, preparing to defend herself.

“Old habits die hard, huh?” Anna said softly.

“Oh… it’s you. Sorry,” Honeymaren muttered. “I… I just need some space.” She curled up in a ball once more in the straw, burrowing to hide herself.

Anna sat down on a nearby bale of straw, beckoning Elsa to sit in her lap. “I know. It’s a lot, a lot for everyone, so I’ll just say what I came here to say and let you be, okay?” She received a silent nod in response. “I don’t know what the Kvaldir culture was like, or how less than traditional relationships were treated, but all I know is that you love who you love.”

Elsa chimed in. “And for all intents and purposes, our mother may be your blood, but she’s not your sister. Neither of you remembers the other, and over the last year, the love that’s blossomed between you two has been romantic, not sisterly.”

“Not to say that you couldn’t add some sisterly love in there if you wanted!” Anna chirped. “But yeah. Do you love her?”

Honeymaren nodded. “I- I do. Even… even knowing what I know now, I do love her. I… she’s been my world since you rescued me. I don’t know what I would have done without her… without any of you. But still… what we are… is that bad? Are we bad?”

“Do you think we’re bad for each other?” Anna asked Honeymaren as she stroked Elsa’s forearm gently, her sister leaning into her.

“I… I thought that when I first found out. I wasn’t sure what was happening, or… or if Iduna knew. But…” Honeymaren sighed, looking at the sisters, “You… you’re perfect for each other.” She struggled some days to reconcile the taboos of her culture and mainstream society with the obvious love the sisters shared, but couldn’t deny that their love was deep and true.

Elsa stood up and walked over to Honeymaren, pulling her into a tentative embrace. “You could have that with Mama, too. The two of you love each other, so very much, as much as Anna and I love each other. Every time I’ve come home this past year, it’s been like watching the sun rise over the horizon for the both of you. She looks less at the painting over the fireplace, and you… well, you spend less time in here. You’re perfect for each other too.”

“This world has enough war and sorrow, Honeymaren,” murmured Anna as she embraced both women, softly rubbing her palms over both their shoulders. “Love as much as you can, while you can. You never know when… you know, a gigantic fallen Titan will plunge his sword halfway through the planet.”

“That was last week,” Honeymaren gave a small laugh, took a deep breath, and walked hand in hand with both sisters back to the house, back to Iduna, who waited quietly.

Honeymaren sat on the couch next to her as the sisters winked at their mother before retreating to the kitchen.

Honeymaren stared at her hands for a long moment, fidgeting.

“Are… you all right, love?” Iduna asked softly.

“I… yes. It’s a lot, you know, to take in all at once. But…”

Iduna reached out, stilling Honeymaren’s hands. “I know. I felt the same way when I found out about the girls. If you need space, if you need to think about it… I understand.”

“I need you,” she said without hesitation, shaking her head. She embraced Iduna fiercely. “It still sounds so strange in my head, to know that I love… that I am in love… with my sister, a sister I never knew. But I need you, Iduna. I need you in my life, in my heart, sister or not. What does that say about me?”

“It doesn’t say anything about you, my love. I don’t care what we call ourselves, as long as we’re together,” Iduna said, running her fingers through Honeymaren’s walnut hair. “Come on, let’s go help finish making dinner.”

* * *

## Author’s Notes

I decided to have a bit of fun in the epilogue and finish out with the revelation that Iduna and Honeymaren are sisters. Kudos to those eagle-eyed readers who spotted the few hints along the way, all the way back in part 2 when Anna thought the mysterious woman looked familiar.

### Join The Party

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As always, please review, kudos, comment, like, follow, all that good stuff. I appreciate it.

### The Usual Disclaimer

Disney owns all of its characters and intellectual property. Blizzard owns all of its characters and intellectual property. No infringement is intended, nor is this work commercial in any way.


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